BIONICLE - Phase 02: Illumination - Part IV: Mask of Light
by MakutaMutran
Summary: After much training for the Kolhii Tournament, the Matoran finalists compete. However, the Tournament reveals the Great Mask of Light, a sign that a Seventh Toa, a Toa of Light, will vanquish all darkness. To find the Seventh Toa, Jaller and Takua begin a journey that will change the destiny of Mata Nui forever. Meanwhile, the vengeful sons of Makuta hunt them and their quarry.
1. Chapter 1

**Beginning Editor's Note: I do not claim to own the Bionicle characters or the majority of these plot points. The material here is simply an edited and compiled version of original Bionicle material. Between books, comics, games, animations, instruction booklets, etc. it is hard to get the full story. Here, comics and video games etc. have been transcribed in novel form and fully integrated into one chronological read. The poetic liberties of novelization and editing are all I can claim.**

**Be sure to follow/favorite/PM in order to show your support or interest, and use the forum I made to discuss any questions and feedback on this project. These four parts constitute material from the story year of 2003, constituting what I've called "Phase 02: Illumination."**

**Thank you, and please continue to enjoy the wonderful and vast story of Bionicle...**

* * *

_Sequel to "Bionicle - Phase 02: Illumination - Part III: The Era of Peace"_

"Takua?" Jaller called urgently. "Takua?"

There was no answer. Jaller grumbled under his breath, then hurried toward the Wall of History, a stone carving that decorated one side of the village of Ta-Koro. The wall was covered with the brave deeds of the great hero Toa Tahu Nuva, who had been foretold through legends long before he and the other five Toa had ever appeared on the lush tropical island of Mata Nui.

Jaller reached the Wall of History. He saw Takua's Kolhii stick leaning against it. As it stood, Takua and Jaller were supposed to be on their way to a match, bordering on _late_.

"Takua!" Jaller shouted, annoyed. He hurried through the door carved into the wall. Jaller raced down the steps. At the bottom he found himself in a lava runoff tunnel. Ahead, he could hear a deep rumble, which grew louder and louder as he walked on.

"Look, Pewku!"

Jaller recognized Takua's voice as it echoed upward.

Finally, the tunnel widened into a cave. A wide river of lava flowed through it, tumbling relentlessly toward a steep drop-off—the spectacular thousand-foot Lava Falls. But Jaller paid no attention to the falls. He had just spotted a small figure hopping from rock to rock across the lava flow. The figure was wearing a blue mask and carrying a lava board under one arm. On the shore at the edge of the cave, a crablike Ussal was waiting patiently. Jaller recognized her as Takua's faithful pet, Pewku.

"That's…why…they call…me…the Chronicler!" Takua told himself as he landed on each stone.

"Takua!" Jaller yelled out to him. "What are you doing down here alone? We're supposed to be on our way to the Kolhii match!"

Takua winced. He'd forgotten all about the Kolhii game that morning. He just wanted to explore. "Oh, yeah," he said. "Sorry, Jaller. Hang on a sec, I just want to check out that totem." He pointed to a stone pillar just ahead.

Jaller glanced toward it. "You're hopping across _lava _to look at a stupid warning totem?"

"l got curious," Takua grinned.

Jaller sighed. "Do you know what Turaga Vakama would say?"

Takua shrugged. "Can't say exactly," he said lightly. "But I'm betting the word 'irresponsible' would come up." Takua hopped to the next rock, trying not to think about what Vakama, the leader of the village, would say or do if he found out about this. Now that he was here, Takua wasn't about to turn back before reaching his goal.

"C'mon!" Jaller urged.

"Be…right…there!" Takua called back, though he continued hopping across to his destination.

Soon he was only one jump away from the edge of the island. It was a long jump, but he didn't hesitate. He flung himself toward the shore. His hands scrambled for a hold as one foot slipped back toward the lava. He felt the sizzle of heat and yanked his foot to safety. Leaping to his feet, he grinned and bowed.

Jaller couldn't help smiling. "Very impressive," he said with a slow applause. "Now let's _go_!"

Takua barely heard him. Now that he was closer, the totem sign on the stone pillar looked stranger and more interesting than ever. He pulled it loose and turned it over in his hands. "Huh," Takua murmured as he stared at the symbol inscribed upon the stone. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before.

Suddenly there was a rumble, loud enough to overcome the distant roar of the falls. Takua glanced up just in time to see the stone pillar beside him sink into the ground. The island and its surroundings began to quake violently. "Whaa—oof!" Takua cried as the sudden quake knocked him off his feet. The totem slipped from his grasp. Takua lunged for it, but he was too late. The totem slipped into the lava and disappeared. "Aah," Takua groaned in disappointment.

"Hurry up!" Jaller called, as the cavern's stone ceiling began to crumble under the force of the quake. A section of the wall cracked and collapsed. Lava spurted through the opening, swelling the river within the cavern. Takua gulped as the rising river wiped out the path of stones he'd used to reach the island. How was he supposed to get back to shore now?

Before he could figure that out, he was nearly blinded by a sudden beam of brilliant light. _What in Mata Nui's name is that? _he wondered, squinting toward the source of the light.

It was a mask. A mask like the ones he and Jaller and every other Matoran wore, but different. This mask glowed with the light of a thousand suns. It was floating in the lava, released from its capsule, the totem, and unharmed by the intense heat. _Only a Toa's mask can do something like that, _Takua thought in awe. "Jaller!" he called. "Look!"

Jaller's eyes widened at the sight of the mask. "A Great Kanohi mask!"

Takua leaned out over the edge of the island. He had to get that mask! The Kanohi mask danced and whirled just out of reach. If he could just stretch a little farther…

_Got it! _he thought with triumph as he finally grabbed the edge of the mask, then quickly tossing it between his hands to cool the heated material down. Pushing himself back from the edge of the river, he sat and studied his prize, which seemed to glow more brightly than ever. He was barely aware that the quake was fading away as quickly as it had come.

The mask looked like no other type he had ever seen. It had two four-sided shapes for eyeholes (like a Hau), but had three distinctively protruding ridges on the top of mask, as well as both sides. The top ridges extended backward, over the skull, while the side ridges were more flat. All of those geometric decorations gave the Kanohi a speedy, regal, and definitely unique appearance. Down each cheek were three openings, and the central portion of the face was indented. Takua turned over the mask to reveal strange, incomprehensible writing on the other side.

"Wow," he murmured curiously. "Never seen this language…"

"Takua!" Jaller called.

Takua had almost forgotten about his friend. Glancing up, he recognized the look of impatience on Jaller's face. He climbed to his feet, still holding the mask. "Hold your Rahi, I'm coming," he called back.

"Oh, really?" Jaller replied, gesturing in front of him. "Learned to fly, have you?"

Takua grimaced, remembering that his path of stones was now under the lava. He was stranded. Or was he? "Here," he called to his friend. "Take the mask!" Without waiting for an answer, he threw the mask across the river.

Jaller jumped and caught the mask. _Hmmm, _he thought. It looked much brighter from a distance. _Must have been a reflection from the lava…._

As he looked up again, he saw Takua holding up his lava board and suddenly realized what his friend was planning to do. He gulped. "Are you sure about this?" Jaller called nervously.

"Not at all!" Takua replied cheerfully. He grabbed a flat, paddle-shaped stone. Then he took a deep breath and flung his lava board forward. "AAAAAAAH!" he cried. As the board landed in the lava at the river's edge, he leaped onto it. The motion sent him skimming forward over the bubbling lava. But he soon started to lose momentum. The current tugged at the board, turning it toward the falls.

_Uh-oh, _Takua thought. Using the flat stone he was holding, he started to paddle. He kept his gaze on Jaller and Pewku, who were watching anxiously from the shore. Suddenly there was a new rumble. The cavern wall collapsed into the river with a splash, freeing a torrent of lava from behind it. The lava burst forward in a huge wave, rushing down the river toward the helpless Takua.

Jaller froze in horror. There was no time to shout a warning—and no time for Takua to get away. Takua stared at the wave rushing toward him, mesmerized by its size and power. Suddenly a huge red figure appeared at the far side of the river, blending in with the fiery color of the lava. He surfed across the river, impossibly fast, heading directly toward Takua as the wave crested. A moment later, Takua felt himself grabbed and yanked out of the path of the wave.

"Toa Tahu!" he exclaimed in surprise.

Tahu flung Takua onto his back. "Chronicler!" Tahu said over his shoulder as he surfed expertly across the lava. "Sightseeing, were you?" Continuing on the lava wave, Tahu steered toward the falls, leaning in for speed. "Well, then, let's take a closer look at those falls."

Back on the shore, Jaller saw the huge figure of the Toa of Fire suddenly emerge from in front of the lava wave. He watched as the Toa shot straight off the edge of the falls and disappeared. A split second later the wave of lava crashed down, spurting over the falls.

Jaller shuddered with horror, feeling his knees go weak. Takua! There was no way he could have escaped the lava. _Tahu Nuva was too late, _he thought bleakly.

X X X

Meanwhile, Tahu surfed down the sheer vertical face of Lava Falls. Takua clung to the Toa's shoulders, hardly daring to keep his eyes open. Tahu's skill had carried them this far—but how was he going to save them from plunging into the lava at the base of the falls?

Then he made the mistake of glancing up. He gulped in terror as he saw the enormous lava wave rushing toward them. Their fall suddenly stopped short. Scrambling to keep hold of Tahu's shoulders, he saw that the Toa had broken his lava board into two pieces—twin magma swords. He had plunged those swords into the solid rock behind the falls.

"So, Takua," the Toa said teasingly. "Is this view _close _enough?"

Takua was too petrified to speak. Finally he found his voice again and pointed up. "Incoming!"

Tahu glanced up at the lava wave, which was nearly upon them. A translucent red force field shot out from his mask, surrounding him and Takua in a glowing sphere of energy. The lava wave thundered over and around them, but the red force field protected them from its touch.

As the shielding force field faded, Tahu pulled one of his swords out of the rock. He reached up and stabbed it back in a little higher, pulling himself and Takua up the cliff like an ice climber. Takua held on as the Toa climbed steadily upward, one sword's length at a time, trying to calm the wild, terrified beating of his heart.

X X X

At the top of the falls, Jaller was kneeling in grief beside a sobbing Pewku. _Why did he have to do it? _he wondered. _Was this stupid mask really worth it? We could all be safe at the Kolhii tournament right now…. _

His grief was interrupted by two swords plunging into the ground on either side of him, followed by Toa Tahu somersaulting into view from over the edge of the falls. Jaller jumped in surprise. "Toa Tahu!" he cried with a sudden burst of hope. But there was no sign of Takua at the Toa's side, and Jaller quickly slumped into sadness again. "Takua?" he asked quietly. "He didn't…."

Suddenly Takua hopped to the ground from somewhere behind the Toa's back. He was grinning from ear to ear. Pewku jumped toward her master happily, nearly knocking him over. Jaller leaped to his feet as well, flooded with relief. "You're alive!" he cried. "Kolhii-head! You could've been lava bones!"

"Could've been," Takua said, gently pushing away the enthusiastic Pewku. "But I'm not."

Tahu was staring at the mask in Jaller's hands. He reached over and grabbed it. "A Great Kanohi mask," he said in surprise.

"It was in the lava," Jaller told the Toa. "Takua—"

"This could be important," Tahu interrupted, handing the mask back to Jaller. "Take it to Turaga Vakama." Jaller nodded and turned away, ready to do what the suddenly stern Toa had ordered. But Tahu stopped him with a smile. "_After _you've won the Kolhii match," Tahu finished. "Now get going, and no more 'sightseeing'!"

"Yes, Toa Tahu!" Jaller said happily. He raced toward the steps back up to the village, with Takua and Pewku right behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

"Today is a great day for our village of Ta-Koro," Turaga Vakama proclaimed. His gaze wandered over the crowded stadium. Villagers from three of the six villages of Mata Nui were crowded into the carved stone bleachers. One section of the bleachers overflowed with a rowdy, brown-masked group from the desert village of Po-Koro, while the quieter, more thoughtful residents of the watery village of Ga-Koro watched with amusement. The hosting Ta-Matoran were scattered throughout the crowd with their friends or rivals.

Three of the six Toa Nuva sat on a special dais overlooking the scene. The Turaga smiled and bowed slightly toward them. "We are thankful to the Great Spirit for his gift of six guardians who represent the elements," he continued. "Fire, Water, Ice, Air, Stone, and Earth. Our mighty Toa, whose valiant quests and heroic deeds have saved us many times from the forces of Makuta…" There was a visible shudder from the crowd as the Turaga spoke the name of the island's dark, mysterious enemy. "…and given us hope for the future, for our history's next chapter."

It was Makuta's will that Mata Nui remain asleep forever.

Turaga Vakama bowed to the Toa. "Three of these protectors are with us today. Let us welcome them," he announced. "First, the spirit of Fire, Toa Tahu!" As the Turaga spoke his name, Tahu stood and leaped onto the wall behind the Toa's box. He waved his magma swords, sending a ribbon of fire searing through the air.

The crowd roared with delight.

"From the village of water," Vakama proclaimed, "Toa Gali! And from the village of stone, Toa Pohatu!" Gali stood, raising her blue-handled aqua axe in salute to the cheering crowd. Nearby, Pohatu did the same, giving a friendly wave with his bronze-tinged climbing claws.

Vakama continued, praising all the Toa for their brave deeds. As he spoke, Tahu turned and bowed to Gali, who was still standing. "Pleasure to see you again, Gali," he said.

"Thank you, Tahu."

Pohatu came over to Tahu. "Brother! I am thrilled to be here!" he said loudly, giving Tahu an emphatic fist bump: the traditional Toa salute.

"Yes, well, we can't have a Kolhii tournament without the patron of Kolhii!" Tahu replied.

Pohatu laughed. "And so, I am here!"

The Fire Toa took a seat, then gestured to the seat beside his own to the Toa of Water. But Gali sat down in a different seat, leaving an empty one between the two of them. Rolling his eyes, Pohatu leaped over Tahu and sat down between them. He put his friendly arms over the shoulders of each of them. "You two," he said with a shake of his head. "Still so ill at ease? Put your petty differences aside…rejoice!"

Gali raised one eyebrow playfully. "I think my brother is afraid of having his fire extinguished," she said, glancing past Pohatu at Tahu.

Tahu mockingly laughed. "Sister," he responded, his own tone just as light and playful, "against me you'd be nothing but steam—'hot air', as they say."

Below, the Turaga were watching the exchange. Onewa, the Turaga of Po-Koro, shook his head worriedly. "The Toa squabble like Gukko birds over a berry," he remarked.

Turaga Nokama of Ga-Koro nodded. "Their recent victories are a blessing," she said, "but they've forgotten how they need one another."

Turaga Vakama had paused in his speech just long enough to hear them. "Indeed, Nokama," he said, glancing up at the Toa with concern. Then he stepped forward once again. He raised his arm, and the crowd quieted. "We dedicate this new Kolhii field to the Great Spirit, Mata Nui," Vakama said. "And to the three virtues: unity, duty, destiny."

"Unity, duty, destiny!" the gathered Matoran cried in unison.

Turaga Vakama smiled. "Let the tournament…_begin_!"

X X X

"Ta-Koro welcomes three teams!"

Takua shivered with anticipation as the Po-Matoran Kolhii announcer's voice rolled over the stadium. A section of the arena wall spun around to reveal a Kolhii goal—a large stone carving of the face of the Great Spirit, Mata Nui. Two brown-masked players strode out.

"From the desert village of Po-Koro," the announcer said, "Copper Maskwinners and undisputed Kolhii champions…Hewkii and Hafu!" The players raised their sticks in salute, and the crowd cheered wildly.

Another section of the wall spun and revealed another goal. This time a pair of blue-masked players stepped out onto the field. "From Ga-Koro, the up-and-coming challengers—Hahli and Macku!" the announcer cried.

As the crowd cheered, Takua gripped his Kolhii stick tighter. They were next. The third and final goal spun into view, and Takua bounded onto the field with his friend and teammate beside him. "And from Ta-Koro, your very own Captain of the Guard and the Chronicler, Jaller and Takua!" Takua waved his Kolhii stick at the crowd, enjoying their applause.

"Try your new move," Jaller whispered to him. "The crowd'll go crazy."

Takua shrugged. "Nah," he replied. "It only works in practice."

"Think more positively…" Jaller instructed.

"I mean, 'of course'!" Takua corrected. He raised his stick toward Jaller. Jaller clunked it with his own. "It's what the audience came for!" Takua called as he began walking toward the center of the field. Then they took their positions—Jaller in front of the goal, and Takua in the center of the field facing the other offense players.

"Play well," Hewkii and Hahli said. Takua repeated the words, still getting his head in the game. Then the three of them knocked their sticks together in a three-way salute.

Gali straightened up for a better view.

Tahu leaned forward onto the guardrail, clenching his fists tightly in anticipation.

Then the three forward Kolhii players huddled around the circle in the center of the field. They didn't have long to wait before the circle spun open and a pair of Kolhii balls shot out and into the air. Takua moved instantly, lunging at one of the balls. But Hahli was faster—she scooped up the ball and jumped away. Takua spun toward the second ball. Hewkii was leaping toward it, too—both of them swatted at the ball with their sticks, trying to knock each other aside.

Finally Takua saw the net on the end of his stick swoop the ball out of midair. Yes! He had it! He spun around…a little too fast. His foot hit his own Kolhii stick, and he tripped and fell. The ball rolled out and Hewkii jumped forward, kicking it away. Disgusted with himself, Takua raced after Hewkii. The two of them dodged and weaved, their feet flying as they battled for control of the ball.

Jaller saw Hahli sprinting toward him, pushing the second ball with the hammer end of her stick. She flipped the ball into the air, using the stick to smash it toward the Ta-Koro goal.

Jaller swung his stick—interception!

Hahli smiled and raised her stick to salute Jaller's defense. "Not bad," she said breathlessly.

Jaller crossed his arms and tilted his head. "Nothing gets by the Captain of the Guard," he bragged playfully. He smiled. "Unless he wishes it."

Hahli returned his smile. "I'll keep that in mind." Then she turned and ran back into the game.

Hewkii had gained control of the other ball. He raced across the field toward the Ga-Koro goal with Takua in hot pursuit. With a burst of speed, Takua darted past and flung himself on the ground directly in Hewkii's path. Without missing a step, Hewkii vaulted over him. Takua looked sideways just in time to see Hewkii flip the ball into the air and kick it toward the goal. The Ga-Matoran defensive player, Macku, dove for the flying ball, but it sailed past her.

"And Hewkii scores!" the announcer shouted.

_It's just one goal, _Takua told himself. _There's still plenty of time for us to catch up. _

X X X

Some time later, Takua was feeling less optimistic. There were two lightstones on the scoreboard for Po-Koro now, along with two for Ga-Koro. The Ta-Matoran team had yet to score a goal. Kolhii was played to a winning score of three goals. To catch up, the Ta-Matoran had to sink three goals in a row. Such a thing was almost unheard of in the sport.

Takua clutched his Kolhii stick, preparing himself as he waited for the balls to emerge. When they popped out of the circle, he dove toward them. But Hahli was ready. Ducking low, she quickly swiped her stick back and forth, sending both balls skittering out in different directions.

When the balls hit the ground, Takua leaped toward one. So did Hewkii. The two of them smashed into each other in midair, each falling back with a grunt as the ball went flying upward again.

Both players leaped to their feet and again dove for the ball. Takua managed to scoop it up just before Hewkii reached it.

_Yes! _Takua thought, using the stick to vault into the air and over Hewkii's head. As Takua somersaulted in midair, he flung the scoop end of the stick forward, shooting the Kolhii ball out of it in a blur. But the shot was wide—so wide that it sailed right over the top of the Ga-Matoran goal and into the stands. The spectators in that section dove for cover as the ball careened into the seats. Takua was so busy trying to watch the ball that he didn't pay attention to his own somersault. He hit the ground face-first.

"Ooh!" the announcer said. "I don't think we've seen _that _move before!"

Takua sat up and spit out a mouthful of dust. So much for his special move! _I told Jaller it wouldn't work, _he thought in disgust.

As he looked around, he was just in time to see Hahli sprint past, still kicking the second Kolhii ball in front of her. She closed in on the Ta-Matoran goal and whacked the ball with her stick. Jaller dove at it, but it sailed past his outstretched hand—and straight into the goal.

"Hahli scores!" the announcer cried. "Goal and tournament go to Ga-Koro! Let's hear it folks! What a game!"

The Ga-Matoran section of the crowd went wild, jumping up and down and cheering loudly for their team.

In the Toa box, Pohatu turned to Gali and offered his fist. She clanked it with her own, grinning widely. Then Pohatu turned and held out his fist to Tahu. Tahu stared down at the gesture, then turned away with a huff. Behind him, Pohatu's expression fell.

Back on the field, Takua dragged himself after Jaller, who was hurrying to join the other players after grabbing his Kolhii bag from the sidelines. He couldn't believe they'd lost—and it was all his own fault!

Hahli sighed a breath of exhaustion. "Nice defense, Macku, like always," she said clanking sticks with her partner. Hewkii walked over and she nodded to him, clanking his stick as well. "Good shooting, Hewkii."

Hewkii smiled. "Whew! Good shooting, yourself, Hahli. All that traveling really paid off!"

Jaller extended his stick to Hahli. "Yeah…not bad," he said with a grin and a wink. "For a Ga-Matoran."

Hahli tapped his stick with her own, ignoring the joke. Then she turned to Takua. "Good effort, Takua," she said warmly. "Nice move back there—a little more practice and you'll have something _amazing_."

"Thanks," he said tonelessly, not bothering to look up. It would be a long time before he got over this. A very long time.

Turaga Vakama stepped forward. "Congratulations to Ga-Koro!" he said. "And well played by all."

The players all turned and raised their sticks in salute to the hosting Turaga. As Jaller raised his stick, the motion jostled the Kolhii bag he'd slung over his shoulder. The mysterious Kanohi mask fell out and landed on the ground, rolling against Takua's foot. The crowd cried out in amazement as a beam of brilliant, clear light shot out of the mask. Jaller noticed the mask fall, but quickly looked back anywhere else, counting clouds.

Takua nudged the Kanohi in front of Jaller.

Jaller glanced down and quickly slid it back to Takua.

Takua passed it, then Jaller did, then Takua, then Jaller. Finally, Takua tilted his toe upward, angling the mask's face toward Jaller. At that same time, the mask lit up again, shining bright light from its front.

Jaller staggered backward, briefly blinded by the beam glaring right into his face. The crowd was still murmuring in amazement. Turaga Vakama stepped forward, his eyes filled with awe. "Come," he said, reaching for the mask. "We must take this to the Suva immediately."

X X X

A few minutes later most of the crowd was gathered around the Suva, a small, dome-like shrine in the center of the village. In the crowd, Hahli and Macku, Hewkii and Hafu, and Jaller and Takua waited intently to hear the conclusion of this mystery.

Now, Nokama was chanting under her breath as she stretched her hands toward the floating mask. "_Mapaku una-kanokee wehnua-hakeeta ah-keelahe hanoni rahun-ahk too-nak panokeeta Makuta-tahkee ohnah-koo," _she mumbled.

"What's she doing?" Takua whispered.

"Shhh," Jaller answered. "Translating. Noble Rau, remember?"

Finally Nokama reached up and pulled the mask out of the air to approach the gathered crowd. "This is the Great Kanohi Mask of Light," she said solemnly. "The Kanohi Avohkii! A mask to be worn only by a Seventh Toa…" she paused to hold the mask out to the crowd. "…a Toa of _Light_."

The onlookers gasped. A Seventh Toa? Macku, Hahli, and Hewkii exchanged a three-way glance. What village of Matoran would this Toa represent?

Turaga Vakama stepped forward. "Legends foretell the coming of a Seventh Toa, who will bring light to the shadows and awaken Mata Nui."

Tahu leaped down from his perch on the nearby village wall. "What are we waiting for?" he cried. "We should prepare for this Toa's arrival! When will it be? And where?"

Turaga Onewa shook his head. "Ah, this Toa will not simply appear as you and the others did," he said. "The Seventh Toa must be found!" The crowd murmured in amazement. The original six Toa had not needed finding—they had appeared suddenly on the island just when the Matoran needed them most. Onewa continued, "Only six Toa have washed ashore on Mata Nui—now it seems there is a seventh. Legend says that he will appear to the Matoran and lead them against Makuta, freeing the island from shadows for all time."

"The Mask of Light chose who would find it," Nokama said. "Perhaps it also chose who would deliver it to its master."

"Wait," Tahu exclaimed. "At the stadium, there was a sign! The mask threw all its light upon one Matoran." He pointed. "Jaller—he must be the Herald of the Seventh Toa!"

"B-but I didn't…" Jaller stammered. He turned to Takua. "Tell them the truth!" he whispered urgently. "Say something!"

Takua knew what his friend wanted—to tell the crowd that it had been Takua, not Jaller, who had found the mask. But Takua wasn't about to take responsibility for this. Who knew how he would manage to mess up such an important quest?

No, this was a job for someone responsible.

Someone mature.

Someone like Jaller.

"I do say something," he whispered back to Jaller, raising his Kolhii stick. "I say, hail Jaller!" he cried. "All hail Jaller! Herald of the Seventh Toa!"

The crowd joined in with enthusiasm. "HAIL JALLER! HAIL JALLER!"

Jaller looked around before whispering to Takua again. "You _cannot _do this to me! _You _have to be the herald!"

Vakama pointed his firestaff at Jaller. "Captain of the Guard!" he called. "Approach!"

Jaller had no choice. He started toward the group of Turaga…then paused just long enough to grab Takua. "Takua…" he said, through gritted teeth.

"Go on!" his friend whispered harshly, pushing him forward. Jaller turned to look back at him, but Takua just shrugged.

Vakama held the Mask of Light out to Jaller. "It seems the mask has chosen you," he said solemnly. "Will you seek the Seventh Toa?"

Jaller glanced at Takua, who refused to meet his eye. "l—I will," Jaller said. "_And _Takua the Chronicler has volunteered to join me!"

"Perfect," Vakama said, pleased. "While Jaller makes history, our Chronicler will record it. Soon we will have another great chapter to add to our Wall of History."

"Certainly, Turaga," Takua said. "It will be full of all of _Jaller's _great and brave deeds."

Jaller simply sighed.

As the crowd thinned out, the present Toa gathered on the wall above the Suva. "A Seventh Toa…" Tahu said, sounding puzzled. "But why now? All the Makuta's threats have been defeated."

Pohatu nodded. The six of them had battled a series of enemies sent by Makuta, but all had fallen before the power of the Toa. The island was peaceful, with no threat in sight. Why would a Seventh Toa be needed now? "Ah, but who can fathom the wisdom of Mata Nui?" Pohatu mused aloud. "l am simply happy to take good news to the north."

"Will you travel with Gali?" Tahu asked, glancing around for the Toa of Water. But Gali was nowhere in sight.

Pohatu smiled. "No," he said. "She has gone to ponder the great thoughts."

As the Toa of Stone walked away, Tahu turned back to Vakama. "Wise one, what will this Toa be like?"

Vakama shook his head, unsure. "Matoran carvings show the Toa of Light carrying a staff of some sort, but its use is unknown. The myths also describe him as having a great vehicle, capable of tunneling below the surface at amazing speeds. This vehicle will lead him directly to Makuta. He can turn darkness into day, or change the anger of an enemy into friendship."

"How much of this legend is true?" Tahu wondered.

"No one knows for sure," Vakama answered. "Only time will tell whether the story is fact or fiction."

X X X

Gali Nuva sat at the edge of the Amaja Circle, the sacred storytelling area that was part of the island main temple, the Kini-Nui. _What can it mean? _she wondered. _How can it be? A Seventh Toa…it's nothing any of us ever imagined…_

At that moment a constellation caught her eye. Six stars gleamed brightly, overpowering the light of the weaker stars all around them. Suddenly a new point of light, even brighter than the rest, sailed through the constellation. Gali gasped.

"A seventh spirit star!"

With this new discovery, Gali commenced her meditations, wondering what the future of Mata Nui might include.


	3. Chapter 3

Deep beneath the island's surface, where no hint of light had ever penetrated, lay the lair of Makuta. Only his glowing red eyes and the shadowy outline of his hulking form were visible as he stalked around his lair.

"The earth shudders, my brother," he rumbled, speaking to the enormous mask on one wall of the chamber, a carved image of the face of the Great Spirit, Mata Nui. "The Seventh Toa has begun its approach." He sighed. "So," was the only word in a long breath. "Again the prophecies of the Matoran oppose my will. I set the Rahi against them…I unleashed the Bohrok swarms…but still they refused to break."

Makuta paced restlessly, clutching a stone tablet in one hand. The Toa were about to interfere with his plans. And this time, he intended to defeat them once and for all. He paused beside three massive carved stone pillars. The pictographs on them showed the masks of those who served Makuta's brother, the Great Spirit, Mata Nui. Makuta touched a pillar lightly.

"Has it come to this?" he mused. "Must I release those who should never see the light of day?" Makuta plunged his hand into his chest. When he pulled it out, it clutched three writhing, spiked snake-like creatures. The Kraata.

"l must strike the very foundation of the Matoran soul," Makuta hissed. "Now their unity will be poisoned."

He slapped one of the Kraata onto the first pillar. A beam of dark energy burst from the pillar as chunks of stone crumbled and crashed to the floor. Gradually, a dark, terrifying figure appeared from the rubble: a Rahkshi. The Rahkshi's body quivered with energy. Dark eyes burned behind in its ghastly pointed face, eyes filled with ruthless determination.

Makuta smiled grimly. _Welcome, Lerahk, the Poison-Rahkshi, _he thought. _Your staff full of deadly poison will sicken anything it contacts. I trust you will quickly foul the Matoran's Purity._

He moved on to the next pillar. "Their duty will be broken," he murmured as he slapped on another Kraata. As the Kraata burrowed its way into the creature at the heart of the pillar, a long, sinewy blue leg burst out of the stone. With a burst of dark energy, the pillar collapsed, revealing a second Rahkshi. Its eyes glowed. Its limbs twitched with energy.

_The Disintegrator-Rahkshi, Guurahk_, Makuta thought with pride. _Your disintegrator staff will destroy the homes of the Matoran, destroying their hope for Creation._

Makuta stepped over to the third column. "And their destiny," he whispered in anticipation, "l must shatter." He slapped a third Kraata onto the column. With a deafening roar, the column shattered. A brown Rahkshi burst through the stone.

_Panrahk, the Fragmenter-Rahkshi, _Makuta thought. _The destructive arc of your dark energy will eradicate the Matoran's Faith._

Next to these Rahkshi, the Toa were naught but pitiful products of protodermis. Makuta stepped back from his creations as a door split open at one end of the chamber. "Go, my sons, my Rahkshi!" Makuta told them. "Use the shadows." He glanced at the mask of Mata Nui with grim resolve burning in his eyes. "And keep my brother asleep."

X X X

"Toa Pohatu has left for the north," Turaga Vakama told Takua, as he, Takua, Jaller, and Hahli walked together to the Ta-Koro gate. "He spreads word of your search."

Takua found that to be both encouraging and exciting. "Oh, thanks! I'll take all the help I can—uh…uh, give to Jaller!" he said quickly. He went on, trying to fix his mistake. "You know, for his quest…the one that's _his_, that is."

Hahli walked up behind Jaller and cleared her throat. "Look, don't get mushy, Jaller," she said. "We don't have time for a long goodbye."

Jaller faced Hahli, gathering his courage to say what he wanted before leaving on his quest, glancing over at Vakama occasionally. "I was just going to say, well…" Jaller took a deep breath. "You owe me a rematch on the Kolhii field."

Hahli's eyes softened. "Well then, you'd better hurry back," she said. "'Cause _I'll _be practicing." She touched him on the arm, then turned and walked away.

Jaller watched her go. How long would it be until he saw her again? _Would _he see her again? Trying not to think about that, he turned back to Takua, seeing him on his crab's hard-backed shell. "You're bringing Pewku?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you kidding?" Takua replied, smiling and patting the back of the creature. "I couldn't leave her behind if I wanted to." Pewku chirped happily and shifted, ready to go on the move. Jaller took a seat on her next to Takua.

"The shadows of the Makuta are powerful," Turaga Vakama warned before they could leave. "Do not take your journey lightly. It will tolerate none of your foolery."

"Um…how will we know where to start?" Takua asked Vakama.

"Trust in the mask," he replied. "Let it be your guide."

Jaller pulled the Mask of Light out of his bag, holding it up. As he turned it in one particular direction, it suddenly began to glow brightly. "Hard to argue with that," Jaller said.

Takua tapped Pewku's shell and the Ussal galloped off. As they rode away, Takua could be heard whooping Pewku on, and Jaller complaining, "Move over!"

Turaga Vakama's voice floated after them. "Remember your duty!" he called. "And walk in the light!" Watching them go, he added to himself, "Safely in the light." Behind the two Ta-Matoran, the Ta-Koro bridge lowered back into the lava as they rode away from the village.

Vakama turned back to join Hahli off to the side. "Do not forget your training, Hahli. The Sacred Fire reveals that Kolhii is not all that destiny has in store for you, and there is yet a role that you have to play, in a much grander game. As the Sacred Fire burns, so do all things expected come to pass, and some things we did not see. But know this in comfort—you have earned your place on the Wall of History, Champion. You will always be honored in Ta-Koro."

Hahli couldn't help a large smile from creeping onto her face. Such a compliment from Vakama was a high honor. "Thank you, Turaga Vakama," she said with a bow.

Hahli returned to the calm-again northern square of Ta-Koro. There she met Macku, finding her partner idly knocking a Kolhii ball against a wall over and over. "Now that you're the best, it's boring?" Hahli's voice rang to her.

Macku turned to her, letting the Kolhii ball roll by her. "No, of course not. I really like Kolhii. It gives me something to do with Hewkii—I'm just better now than I was before. Are you going back to Ga-Koro?"

Hahli sighed, then nodded. "Yes. It's been a big adventure with you, Macku, but it's time for us to go home. Jaller and Takua are on the search for the Seventh Toa—we should be with our people."

"Alright," Macku agreed, picking up her things nearby.

The two walked through the square toward the road they had taken just the previous morning to reach the fire village. Hahli deviated off-course in the square. "Just one more minute," she asked Macku. "I'll be right there."

Macku nodded; Hahli was heading for her friends' homes one more time. When she got there, it was odd to see the Wall of History abandoned—the last time she had seen it, Takua had been working hard at inscribing away at it. Now, his Chronicler's staff lay alone on the ground next to some tablets. Reflecting in the famous place, she left for Jaller's hut next. There, she felt a bit strange again with it deserted. She looked around at Jaller's spears and discs and maps from his many years of defending Ta-Koro. Saying a quiet goodbye to Jaller's hut, and a silent prayer to Mata Nui that he would be safe on his quest, she then left the dwelling to return to Macku.

The Ga-Matoran silently watched Hahli approach her. The two nodded in mutual agreement that it was time to return home, and then left to do so.

X X X

Aodhan looked up from his cart of igneous rock, the result of his workday as a lava farmer, once the Kolhii tournament had finished. His red-armored hand wiped some collected soot off of his yellow Kanohi Mahiki; the ash's color was the same dark grey as his torso, arms, and legs. His close friend, Tiribomba, wheeled a cart over to him from where he had been working down the lava river. He looked very similar to Aodhan—his armor bore the same three colors, though the colors of his mask and of his hands and feet were reversed. His Kanohi Ruru was red, and his hands and feet were yellow.

"Did you hear?" Aodhan asked, as he leaned against the cart to take a break, crossing his ankles and arching his back. "Takua and Jaller have left to search for a Seventh Toa!"

Tiribomba stretched his arms up high, getting rid of the stiffness in his muscles he had gained from working. Then he leaned against his cart, too, facing his friend. "Yes…but Turaga Vakama is very worried," Tiribomba replied. "He says that the object is sure to bring about the Makuta again…and you know what that means."

Aodhan frowned, turning away to look out at the slopes of the Mangai Volcano. He knew what Tiribomba was talking about. If Vakama was right, and Makuta were to come back and make an effort against the Matoran, the Era of Peace would be over. Just like the Dark Time and the Bohrok Invasion, there would be much more fear, sadness, and loss.

Aodhan pressed his lips together and squinted his eyes in thought. "Makuta, Rahi, Bohrok and Bohrok-Kal…I wish there was some place we could get away from all this danger—some place all Matoran could be safe."

Tiribomba agreed, though something in Aodhan's description reminded him of an old Matoran legend, one that had been passed down for years, dating back to the early years of the Dark Time—as far as he could remember. Then he brightened, pushing himself off of his cart. "Wait…there is such a place! Remember the stories?"

Aodhan gave his friend a look as if to say, 'Which ones?'

Tiribomba clarified, "The Great Artakha Refuge! The land no shadow can enter! The land where good Matoran go! Surely, if we find it, we can lead the Matoran there!"

Aodhan shook his head, unwilling to believe. He pushed himself off his cart to face his friend. "Oh, come on…that's just a story. Only a real Kolhii-head would believe that there is such a place. Astronomers and scholars know this island and its surrounding ocean too well."

"Not all of Mata Nui is known. We've been here for centuries, and the Mask of Light was just found!" Tiribomba countered. Aodhan had to think about that. While he did, his friend went on, "And the ocean? What if the Refuge is somewhere underwater—but we could still breathe…somehow…" Tiribomba noticed Aodhan's look. "Well, I don't know!" he said with a shrug, exasperated. "All I'm saying is that its not impossible. What if it's true? And what if we could find it? We could save our people, and be heroes, just like Captain Jaller!"

"I still think it's crazy," Aodhan said. "But, I don't want to keep fighting, either. I suppose we could ask Turaga Vakama about it. He's the one who first told us about the Artakha Refuge, but maybe it's time to ask him a bit more seriously."

"No, the Turaga would just tell us we were being foolish," Tiribomba said, turning away. "I think we should start looking right away!"

Aodhan's mouth dropped open. "Have you lost your Kanohi? We can't just go searching for a dubious legend with no direction! If you're confident enough to convince me to go, but not brave enough to pitch the idea to Vakama, I'm not going! That isn't fair."

Tiribomba looked sheepishly at his good friend. He had a very good point—he just didn't like being looked down on. "You're right," he conceded. "Let's go talk to Vakama and see what we're getting ourselves into."

Aodhan began walking back up the path from the lava site to Ta-Koro. "You mean what _you're_ getting me into…" he muttered.

X X X

Hahli and Macku's return to Ga-Koro was met with great praise. They separated to retire, back at their own homes, with promises to spend more time together in the future. Macku handed the Charms to Hahli, telling her she was the real hero of the match. Her teammate accepted them graciously, at her friend's request.

On her way to her house from the town square, she passed Amaya, who welcomed her back warmly with a hug. Shasa, Marka, Kai, Okoth, and Kotu were all familiar faces as well. They all seemed themselves and gave Hahli the praise she was used to hearing. But when Nixie raced past her, roughly bumping into her, she was extracted from her concentration.

"Woah, Nixie!" Hahli exclaimed, rubbing her shoulder. "What's the rush?"

Nixie turned around, wildly waving her hands as she explained. "Oh, sorry, Hahli. I've just been away from my work for too long! Seeing you play in Ta-Koro was great, but I'm just so frustrated by this puzzle, I gotta keep working on it!"

"I see," Hahli said. Somehow she didn't see suggesting a break as successful—Nixie had just had one. "Maybe explaining it to someone would help. I don't understand your formula, but telling it to a fresh set of receptors might help."

Nixie calmed halfway down. "Alright…but come with me. I'd still like to get back there."

Hahli concealed a sigh as she moved to join Nixie on the walk to her laboratory. She adjusted her bag of items and slung her Kolhii stick over her shoulder using a strap she had made for it. As they walked, she tried to listen in at first, but quickly got lost and started only hearing half of what Nixie was saying.

"…two brothers—Mata Nui and Makuta," Nixie rambled on and on, "…three virtues…six principles…subtract one for the Chronicler, divide by the number of Toa…" she groaned as the two neared her lab. "Ugh! It's just not working! It _should_!"

Hahli's mind, meanwhile, wandered back to Jaller on his Search for the Seventh— _Seven Toa, _she thought, stopping dead in her tracks. "Nixie," she said simply, turning to the astrologer. "Did you hear about the Ta-Koro Captain and Chronicler after the Championship?"

"No. Why?"

"Jaller discovered a Mask of Light before the game," Hahli explained, now the one who was talking faster and more excited, happy to understand something. "The Turaga say it belongs to a Seventh Toa hidden somewhere on Mata Nui!"

Nixie didn't even reply, but instead turned toward her hut and raced toward it. The door was only halfway open when she bulldozed through, tripping over herself in an effort to find her equipment and recalculate. Hahli walked in as she heard Nixie saying, "_Seven _Toa would change everything!" Hahli continued to wait until Nixie visibly finished, plopping into a chair, mentally exhausted. "Wow! I can't believe that worked. It actually gave us a readable answer."

"Your answer is a place?" Hahli asked. "Is it Kini-Nui?"

"No, no," Nixie said with a wave of her hand. "Nothing so predictable. It's a Ga-Matoran coordinate: G9."

"That's within reach," Hahli commented. "I'm going to check it out. After having one adventure, I need another one!"

"I'm coming, too!" Nixie called, following Hahli out of the lab. She paused and looked back for a moment when she realized she had left the door unlocked, then shook her head and continued after Hahli.

Hahli was running down to the docks again, relieved to find Pelagia there. By the time Nixie got there, Hahli had already (as politely as she could) accepted congratulations for the Championship and asked Pelagia to run the ferry to the coordinate G9. When she asked for Nixie's fare, Nixie harshly told her that this was "for science", at which point she decided one extra rider wouldn't be a huge expense. Hahli paid the fee, and soon the boat was at the desired spot in Naho Bay.

Diving underwater, Hahli searched for anything out of the ordinary until she saw a structure. The lightstone lighting the entrance had given it away, but it was still concealed to the point that she would never have found it if she weren't looking for it. Entering, she saw a doorway and a small circular keyhole with an inscription above it. Still underwater, she swam up to read it. It read: 'All are one or none.' Hahli thought about it, her lungs just now becoming uncomfortable, yet still bearable. She thought more about it, remembering the Ga-Matoran Virtue of Unity. She removed the Charm of Unity from her satchel, and fitted it into the keyhole, causing the doorway to open.

Hahli retrieved the Charm before passing through. Two more doors followed, with two more riddles. The first, 'From Unity derived', referred to the Principle of Purity—Hahli answered it by inserting the Charm of Purity. The second 'From clear waters granted', was answered with the Charm of Speed. The second door opened into a large, dimly-lit temple. Thankfully, this portion was no longer underwater, either. An inscription on the ceiling read 'Temple of Purity.'

Around the room, there were four Matoran head carvings spouting water, but ironically, two of the waterfalls were disgustingly murky. An inspection of one revealed a valve on it. Experimenting, Hahli turned it, but instead of turning off the water, like she expected, it became more clean. However, it also polluted another stream. With time and patience, trial and error showed that by turning the valves in a specific group orientation, all four of the waterfalls spouted clean water.

Once they all did, a rumble shook the temple as a narrow walkway rose through the crystal-clear water, leading to the center of the pool. Hahli walked to its end, finding a glowing object lying in the center of a dais. She picked it up for a better look, but still couldn't tell exactly what it was. It wasn't shaped like a lightstone, yet gave off a light blue hue in its glow. She decided she should consult Nixie on her discovery—she had been down here for some time, already. Still considering the object, she returned to the surface.

As expected, Nixie was relieved to see Hahli; she helped pull her back into Pelagia's boat. "I was worried about you!" she said. "Did anything happen? What did you find?"

Hahli pulled out her acquisition. "I found this crystal, inside a place called the Temple of Purity." She handed the object over, then asked, "Any idea what it is or what it means? It was hidden pretty well."

Nixie took the item and examined it as Pelagia steered the ferry back to the Ga-Koro shore. "This is the Crystal of Purity," she said, with mystery detectable in her tone. "New Ga-Matoran legend speaks of it, though they're more like rumors than long-lived legend. It can't have existed longer than when the Principles were conceived—Nokama must have made it and stored it down there. The information on it is vague, though. It is supposedly significant to the fate of Mata Nui."

"Your formula was right, though," Hahli said, as the boat crested another wave. "Coordinate G9—the only way to get that number is if you were to use a seventh Toa."

"Yes…" Nixie murmured. "Perhaps…Vakama is right, and there is such a hero."

"If there is a Crystal of Purity, how likely is it that there are crystals representing the other villages' principles, too?" Hahli theorized.

Nixie shrugged. "I don't know a lot about that Crystal—we should ask Nokama about it. I'd say it's probable, though."

"Yes, but she's still in Ta-Koro after the discovery of the Mask of Light," Hahli said. "You stay here—I'll go back and ask her about it."

Pelagia brought the boat next to a pier and began tying it off. Nixie and Hahli climbed back ashore and walked to the village. They parted ways there—Nixie going back to her home and Hahli setting out once again for the village of fire.


	4. Chapter 4

"Yes, I know the legends of the Great Refuge," Vakama said to Tiribomba. Off to the side, Aodhan was listening. "But they may be just that…legends—even I do not know for certain. Still, if you are determined to search, you should begin at the lava falls. Perhaps the resting place of the Mask of Light contains a clue, for it is an important artifact that has just come to our awareness. But beware—beyond the walls of the village, Mata Nui may soon become a dangerous place once again."

"Thank you. We'll be careful," Tiribomba assured the fire elder. He went back to his friend and the two left for the site of the Avohkii's discovery. Aodhan had heard a description from Takua between the mask's reveal at the Kolhii game and his departure with Jaller to search for the Seventh Toa. Now, he and Tiribomba arrived at the site, only to search for about an hour, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

"There's nothing here!" Aodhan exclaimed, looking around the area. "I told you this was a waste of time…"

"No, there has to be a clue here somewhere!" his friend encouraged. "Keep looking!"

A rumble knocked both Matoran from their feet. "What's that noise?" asked Aodhan, worried.

Tiribomba pointed down the river. "Another lava flood! Run!"

"But which way?" Aodhan yelled. The two were standing on the shore of the lava bank, close enough to be touched by the lava when it swelled through. They could run back up the bank, or run toward the lava falls, hoping they wouldn't lose their balance on the rocks protruding from the lavafall. Neither choice looked optimistic.

Then Aodhan saw a small cave—almost too small to be called a cave. It was elevated, and would protect them from the lava, but they would have to crouch and squeeze through in order to make it. "There!" he yelled, running off, with Tiribomba behind him. The two ran up the path toward the inconspicuous opening, quickly crawling through to escape the heat and lava. Luckily, the opening's interior was larger than the exterior appeared, so they weren't too pressed. In fact, the cave opened beyond, stretching as a path.

Tiribomba bent over onto his knees, catching his breath. "Whew! That was close!"

"Hey, look at this!" Aodhan said, walking over to a carving in a corner of adjacent rocks. "Every Matoran knows that place—it's Kini-Nui."

"What's that carving doing here?"

"Not sure," Aodhan puzzled. "But it is an important place…maybe we should check it out?"

"Sure, but how?" Tiribomba asked.

Before Aodhan could answer, the temperature dropped much colder than either had expected, and without reason. "Matoran…" a voice echoed from every corner of the cave.

"Who's that?" Tiribomba called. "Where are you?"

The voice rumbled through the darkness, seeming to change position every second. "I am Makuta. I am shadow."

Aodhan moaned quietly to his friend, "Oh, I knew this was a bad idea!"

"You will never find the Refuge you seek," Makuta told the two Matoran. "There can be no escape from my power or my sight. Return to your Koro…while you still can."

"No! We're not afraid of you!" Tiribomba called, with more courage than Aodhan thought he had.

"We're not?" he asked quietly.

"Turn back, and do not set foot on Kini-Nui," Makuta commanded. "You cannot hide from the eyes of Makuta."

"We're sure going to try! Let's go!" Tiribomba called defiantly. He grabbed his friend and dashed further into the cavern tunnel.

X X X

At the Ta-Koro gate, Hahli amicably greeted the guard, whom she recognized as Nuhrii—one of Jaller's soldiers in grey and red armor wearing a grey Kanohi Kaukau, like her. She found Nokama near the village Suva, in consultation with Vakama over the implications of the Avohkii's appearance.

"Hahli, I thought you returned to Ga-Koro," Nokama said, surprised, though there were still Po-Matoran and a few Ga-Matoran staying in Ta-Koro for fun. "What brings you to me?"

Hahli undid the lash on her bag and pulled out the Crystal of Purity, showing it to Nokama. "Do you know what this is? Nixie told me it was the Crystal of Purity."

"Nixie is correct," Nokama assured her. "And as such, it appears as though you are already on your way to beginning a new journey, just as Jaller and Takua have begun theirs."

"You know what this is for, then?" Hahli repeated.

"No. I do not know what this object is, only its name and appearance—the Crystal of Purity," Nokama answered. "It appeared without warning in my home not long after the Principles were conceived, along with a mysterious note. The note's origins are unknown to me, but it instructed me to keep the crystal in a place after its name. I took it to an old Ga-Matoran pumping facility, abandoned during one of the village's many relocations over the centuries. There, I renamed the place the Temple of Purity."

Nokama pointed to the crystal Hahli carried. "I do not know what it is for, only that it would not have appeared without reason, much like the sudden arrival of the Kanohi Nuva, and Nuva symbols, Mata Nui has been sending us dire equipment at the proper time—I believe this is no different." Hahli nodded as she stowed the Crystal of Purity back away. Nokama continued, "Hahli, with Jaller and Takua on their quest, I ask of you: gather the remaining crystals, for they certainly exist, even if little has been heard of them among the Matoran."

"And when I finish…?" Hahli asked.

"When you finish, you will know," Nokama answered. "For now, inquire of my brother where he has placed his crystal."

Hahli did so, learning from Vakama that the Temple of Courage was not near Ta-Koro, but rather, it was down on the Ta-Wahi beach, not far from the famous Eastern Telescope. Following his directions, Hahli jogged quickly along the path leading to the eastern shore. The green path put her out on the sand bar, where she did see the telescope, a Matoran head built into some of the rocks there, and a carving of a Toa head that looked fairly new, based on the cracks and surface. Walking up the steps to it, Hahli confirmed that there was a doorway with more riddles on it, to which she was sure she would have the keys.

'Pride of Guards' referred to the Charm of Duty, 'Conquers Fear' took the Charm of Courage, and 'Might of heart and limb' referred to the Charm of Strength. After she unlocked the final door, Hahli entered a chamber filled with a pool of lava and a walkway leading to the center of the room. There, the Crystal of Courage lay in waiting.

Hahli retrieved it and began walking back to Ta-Koro, stopping when she glanced toward the Eastern Telescope. There was another small mound next to it, like a Suva, but smaller. A stroll over to it showed that it had indentations in six of its sides, also like a Suva. Instead of holding Kanohi, though, the niches were smaller and less artistic, completely spherical in shape. Acting on a hunch, Hahli pulled out the Crystal of Purity and tried to insert it into the pocket, but it fell out.

That was weird. Hahli knelt closer to examine the geometry and size of the hole and double-checked that she was right. The hole was the right size for the Crystal of Purity, and its backward slant should have just let the ball fall in and stay there. She tried again, just to see it pushed out again, as if by some magnetic force. Happening to glance up in thought, she noticed a symbol above the slot. It was a pyramid made from small stacked circles—three on the bottom, two on those, and then one on top.

_The symbol of Prosperity,_ Hahli realized, putting the Crystals of Purity and Courage back for now. She looked over the structure for a few more seconds before turning to leave the beach. _So that thing is connected to the Crystals, then…but why? And when did it get here—the same time as the Crystals? And from whom?_

Hahli sighed…the questions never seemed to stop on Mata Nui. For now though, she would have to take things as she had with Kolhii—one step at a time. Motivating herself, Hahli quickened her pace to return to Ta-Koro, just as dawn was breaking over the horizon.

X X X

To the surprise of Tiribomba and Aodhan, their tunnel led to an exit not far from Kini-Nui. Its entrance was small enough it had been hard to spot, and its exit was the same way, forcing them to squeeze through a small opening covered in neighboring flora. Following a path, they continued to the Temple's Amaja Nui sandpit.

There, Toa Gali Nuva was still meditating in the Amaja Circle, as the sun was coming up, gazing outward toward the surface of the temple pond. "Toa Gali!" Tiribomba exclaimed, excited by their find. He turned to Aodhan. "She is wise and knows the legends told by the Turaga—maybe she knows something!"

"Toa Gali!" Aodhan called, as the two came closer.

Gali stood up, turning to the two Matoran. "Ta-Matoran? So far from Ta-Koro—what are you doing here, at Kini-Nui?"

"With the Seventh Toa on its way, Vakama is worried the Evil One will return," Tiribomba said. In this place, even saying the name 'Makuta' seemed like bad luck. "We are trying to prove the existence of the Great Refuge!"

"Yes, Vakama is wise to be wary. I feel this mask will create much change on Mata Nui," Gali agreed. "As for your quest, I have heard of the Refuge. It is a tale first told long before the Toa ever arrived on Mata Nui, in a time when the Matoran had little hope. Some even believe the Seventh Toa waits there."

"Do you know where it is, Toa Gali?" Aodhan asked.

Gali shook her head. "No…but I believe Kopaka has learned of the legend from Turaga Nuju. Perhaps you could journey to Ko-Wahi and ask the Toa of—"

As Gali was still speaking, the bright sunlight was cut by a dark shadow. Thick gray clouds were rolling across the sky, turning ordinary day to eerie twilight.

Gali made her way to a plateau overlooking the entire temple, while the Matoran followed. What was happening? As she gazed down at the Suva Kaita dome, there was a sizzle of energy. An instant later, the Suva exploded into a million shards. A claw reached out of the smoky hole where the Suva dome had stood. A moment later three horrifying figures climbed out of the hole and stood surveying the destruction. Each one was easily taller than a Toa, had a wicked looking staff, spikes protruding along its angled back, and a pointed head.

"Mata Nui!" Gali gasped.

"What is THAT!?" Tiribomba exclaimed, as the Ta-Matoran and Toa of Water broke into a run.

"I don't want to know! If things like those are appearing, we need to find the Artakha Refuge more than ever!" Aodhan called. "But we need to warn the villages first!"

The group came to the edge of the plateau. One of the new figures swiveled its head in their direction. It banged its staff on the ground, sending sparks of dark energy arcing up. A zigzag lightning bolt shot into the air.

Gali summoned a jet of water which knocked the two Matoran off the edge, then somersaulted backward off the plateau. A split second later, the energy bolt struck the spot where they had stood, completely fragmenting the structure.

The three creatures climbed higher, seeking their targets. But neither Gali nor either of the Matoran were seen. Hissing with frustration, the trio gave up. Moving a small distance away, they jumped into a sitting position hovering off the ground by dark energy.

Beneath the surface of the temple pond, a group of Ruki fish swam, disturbing the surface. Aodhan had scared them away when his foot moved, earning him a look from Tiribomba. Gali, sharing the powers of the Kaukau Nuva, watched from beneath the water as the creatures flew away, disappearing from the temple area.

A moment later the still surface of the temple pond rippled, and Gali and the Matoran emerged. Gali had no idea what sort of creatures they were, but one thing was obvious—they did not come in peace. She glanced down the mountain. Her eyes widened as she spotted them in the distance, flying purposefully along.

"They are headed for Ta-Koro!" Gali realized in alarm. "I will warn Ta-Koro! You two go to Ko-Koro and find Kopaka!" she ordered, leaving the Matoran on land. Diving back beneath the water, she swam in the direction of Tahu's village, determined to warn him in time. As the river she was following flowed around the base of the Mangai Volcano, she took to the land, her wet feet leaving steaming footprints in her wake as she dashed toward the fire village. Calling upon her Kanohi Kakama Nuva, she raced even faster; she couldn't arrive too soon.

X X X

Hahli was arriving right as Gali was, and just in time, too. She had only just crossed back into the village a few moments ago when the Ta-Matoran guard Agni saw Toa Gali coming from his post. "The Toa of Water approaches!" he announced as she jumped onto the village wall. Hahli looked up at the distant sounds of the guard's alarm. "The Toa of Water—"

"Is here!" Gali finished for him, with the greatest urgency in her voice. "Sound the alarm!"

Agni was confused by the sudden ordeal, but he knew better than to disobey a Toa. He saluted, grabbed his horn and blew it. Other members of the Ta-Koro guard echoed the horn call and formed ranks around the village. The bridges to the village were withdrawn beneath the lava by the bridge operator, surrounding it with a moat.

Hahli ran alongside the other Ta-Matoran to shelters. One out of the panicked crowd bumped her so forcefully that she dropped the Crystal of Courage. With a painful _crack_ it landed and bounced twice before starting to roll through the swiftly moving Matoran feet. "Excuse me! Pardon!" Hahli called loudly as she brushed past people to retrieve it. Once she did, she examined it, feeling her heart slump when she detected a three-lined forking crack on one side. Wrapping it in seaweed to offer more padding, she put it back away and double-tightened her pouch before rushing into a hut.

Up above, Tahu came into the ranks as well. "Why have I been summoned?" he said impatiently as he leaped onto the village wall. He glanced down and spotted Gali. Before she could answer his question, thunder rumbled in the distance. A huge dark cloud rolled over the village, obscuring the sun and glow of the volcano—only the surrounding glow of the molten rock around the village provided any sight.

On the wall, Gali waited. Turaga Vakama and Nokama approached.

They all waited.

Gali sighed, confused but still worried. _Was this some kind of trap? _

On the far side of the lake, the three nightmarish figures appeared, seeming to shimmer through the heat rising off the lava. They hovered over the ground, moving smoothly toward the Lake of Fire, where Ta-Koro sat.

"Rahkshi," Nokama pronounced grimly. "The sons of Makuta!"

Vakama nodded. "Shadows that cower in the depths. Exactly as foretold."

Tahu leaped off of the wall, front-flipping down the three story stone construction and landing roughly on his feet with a grunt. "None have breached Ta-Koro's gates before," he proclaimed. "And none shall this day!"

The Rahkshi didn't even pause at the edge of the lava lake—but merely floated on, moving as easily over the fiery surface as they had over the solid ground. Tahu blinked in surprise. Then he pulled out his magma swords, holding them at the ready.

As the Rahkshi reached the shore, the Panrahk raised its staff. A lightning bolt of dark fragmentation energy arced from its end, zigzagging toward Tahu.

The Fire Toa reacted quickly. A red shield appeared around him an instant before the bolt reached him. The bolt of dark energy hit the shield with awesome power, sending the Toa flying backward through the gates and into the village courtyard.

"Mata Nui protect us!" Vakama cried in horror.

Tahu slid to a stop, dazed. _My shield, _he thought blearily. _What happened? Why didn't it deflect that bolt? What sort of enemy _is _this?_

His thoughts faded as he slipped into unconsciousness.

"I'm coming, Tahu!" Gali cried.

The Rahkshi hovered through the wrecked gates and into the village. Suddenly Gali dropped into view from atop the village wall, her aqua axes at the ready. She looked up at the Rahkshi as the Guurahk swung its staff toward her.

She blocked the blow with her axes, then grabbed for the staff, trying to yank it out of its owner's hand. But the disintegrator was too strong. Gali went flying, tumbling to the ground.

Guurahk touched its staff to the courtyard wall. A shimmer of dark energy poured into the wall, and cracks spread outward like a spiderweb, moving through the structure with awesome speed. The village guards barely had time to leap off before a huge portion of the wall collapsed into a heap of stone debris.

The blue Disintegrator stepped closer, scanning the wreckage. Meanwhile the green Poison-Rahkshi, Lerahk, twirled its staff, then poked the stinger end into the ground. Poison flowed out of it, turning the earth a sickly yellow-green.

Tahu was finally regaining his senses. He sat up just in time to see the brown Panrahk walk by, scanning left and right as it went. As Tahu watched, the creature pointed its staff toward a lavastone hut, blasting it into pieces. Approaching the wreckage, the Fragmenter poked at it with the staff, shifting through it.

"Rahkshi!"

The creature turned at Tahu's bold shout. The Toa's swords burned with flames as he spun them and then planted them in the ground at his feet. Twin streaks of fire shot out of them, racing along the ground toward the Rahkshi. Splitting apart when they reached the creature, they formed a wall of flame around it.

Tahu approached warily. He jumped in surprise as the Rahkshi suddenly stepped out through the flames, unharmed. The Toa and Rahkshi fought furiously. Tahu was matching the creature blow for blow—for now. But he could feel its fearsome power. How long could he stand against it?

X X X

Guurahk slammed its staff into the wall near what had once been the village gate. Dark energy spidered through the columns and stones. The Rahkshi turned away, preparing to retreat. But Gali blocked the way.

The Water Toa held her axes crossed in front of her. A geyser of water erupted from the earth, beneath the Rahkshi's feet. The creature raised its staff in defense, but it was too late. The hard ground dissolved into sticky mud, and the Rahkshi's weight made it sink quickly until its feet were trapped.

The Disintegrator hissed angrily, fighting to free itself. Suddenly there was a rumble from behind it. The Rahkshi looked up in alarm—just as the gate wall tumbled onto it, burying it beneath a shower of rubble.

Satisfied that the Rahkshi was trapped for the moment, at least, Gali turned away. She saw Tahu across the courtyard, locked in battle with the Fragmenter-Rahkshi. Tahu was fighting hard. He managed to trick the Rahkshi with a false move, then flipped it onto the ground. Then he planted his magma swords in the ground. The earth beneath the Rahkshi split open and lava bubbled up.

Tahu jumped away as the Fragmenter sank out of sight. Hearing someone approach, Tahu glanced over to see Gali hurrying toward him. "Good job," she said.

When he turned his gaze back to the lava pit, he was shocked to see the Panrahk pulling its way out, dripping with lava but undamaged.

Gali saw the terrible sight, too. "We must get the Matoran to safety—now."

Tahu frowned. "Retreat? Surrender?"

"This battle is lost, Tahu!" Gali insisted as the Fragmenter stepped free of the lava. "We need to regroup!'

Tahu growled. But he realized that Gali was right. "So be it."

X X X

Guurahk smashed a hole in another Ta-Koro hut with its bare hand, having freed itself quickly from Gali's snare. Peering through, it saw two Matoran huddled, trembling with fear. The Rahkshi pulled apart the rest of the wall, then brandished its staff. The Ta-Matoran ran from the hut as the Rahkshi fired a beam that caused the rest of the dwelling to fall to the ground in dust. It looked around for a few seconds, then walked away.

Amidst the attack, Hahli had been forced into the open. She wasn't far away from the Rahkshi, trying to keep quiet as she backed against a wall. Then something grabbed her arm and pulled her away! She silently breathed out relief to see it was the Toa Nuva of Water. There, the two waited, hidden on a roof, while the Lerahk stalked by.

When it had passed, Gali instructed Hahli, "See the others to safety. Raise the bridges again so they can escape!"

"Yes, Toa Gali!" Hahli answered. She ran back to the bridge control room and pulled the lever, causing the stone segments of the Ta-Koro bridges to rise out of the lava. The moat of defense was now gone, but it had done little to stop these attackers, and now the Matoran could flee the village and harbor safety. She looked out from a window and saw Matoran and Turaga elders running to another safe slab of stone in the volcanic region, then joined them in their flight.

X X X

Meanwhile, Tahu and Gali were trying to find new ways to confront the Rahkshi, either by Kanohi, elemental powers, or weaponry combat. Off to the side, Vakama could be seen whacking a Rahkshi on the head with his staff. Tahu and Gali exchanged a glance, then raced toward the sound of the Turaga's struggle. They arrived to find Vakama weakly waving his firestaff, trying to hold off the Lerahk.

"Back, you foul creature!" Vakama cried. "One more step and I'll—"

"Well done, wise one!" Tahu called to him, leaping forward. "I'll take it from here." Vakama joined the exodus while Tahu spun his swords, bringing the blades in contact and channeling his elemental powers to surround the Rahkshi in superheated temperatures. The Rahkshi screeched for a moment, then tapped the heat wave with its poison staff and jumped through the hole it made, pursuing Tahu.

Lerahk dug the end of its staff into the chunk of stone Tahu was standing on. Before he could react, it flung him back several paces, causing him to lose his swords and land roughly on his back.

Nearby, Gali was helping to direct the Matoran out of the village when she heard his difficulty. Looking back, she saw that the Rahkshi had already gotten the upper hand and pinned Tahu to the ground, bringing the poison staff closer by the second. "Brother, be careful!" she cried. But she could see that Tahu would soon be crushed and touched by the poison staff…and she didn't want to know what that would do.

"Rahkshi!" Gali cried out. She sent a massive blast of water from both her aqua axes at the creature. But her call had distracted the monster, making it look over at her. When it did, Tahu surprised it with a push and tumbled them both over so he was then on top of it. Then the water blast hit, sweeping them both away. Gali watched in horror as the Rahkshi's staff tip slit the surface of Tahu's Kanohi in the tide. Tahu managed to land on his feet, then dropped to his knees. A faint greenish-brown scratch glowed on the surface of his mask, then faded and disappeared as if it had never been.

Gali rushed up to the Fire Toa. "Tahu, your mask! I'm sorr—" she began.

"It's nothing," Tahu cut her off, getting back to his feet and retrieving his weapons.

The Poison-Rahkshi, too, was ready to battle again. It planted its staff into the wall beside the two Toa, then into the ground. The Toa leaped away just ahead of the poison that was already spreading outward from the wall.

"This way!" Tahu yelled, leading Gali out to a side entrance of the village. Though the bridge had been raised for the main gate, the defensive moat still surrounded the rest of the village. There was no bridge for the Toa to use to regroup with the others, but Tahu was the master of fire. He combined his swords into a single lava board and hurled it through the air onto the lava's surface, jumping on and beginning to surf. Gali made it behind him to the rock's edge a second later. "Gali, jump on!"

Gali executed a high front flip, landing behind Tahu on the board. Together, the two rode away to the slab of rock where Vakama, Hahli, and the other Turaga had found solid ground and gathered. They landed and Tahu sheathed his swords, turning to assess the damage from the attack on Ta-Koro. What he saw surprised, and horrified him—Ta-Koro was sinking into the lake of lava. The destruction had simply been too much for the supporting rock.

And off in the distance, the Rahkshi hovered away, disappearing into the steam on the far side.

X X X

Tahu took a deep breath. Ta-Koro was no more. The strongest of the six villages had fallen. The Ta-Kini, which honored Tahu's arrival and accomplishments had been destroyed by the Panrahk. The Ta-Suva, which housed all his other Kanohi Nuva masks, was now under natural molten metals and rock, the Kanohi Nuva housed within undoubtedly destroyed. Luckily, the guards had time to retrieve his Nuva Symbol and escape with it (he didn't even want to think about what would have happened if that were gone also), and Vakama had also made time to grab the Mask of Time, but his power…his fortress…his home.

But as he glanced around at the crowds of Matoran huddled nearby, he realized that oddly enough, the entire population of the village had escaped. "They could have destroyed us," he said, both quietly and angrily. "Why didn't they?"

Turaga Vakama shook his head. "They are seekers," he said. "Whatever they came for they did not find."

"So what were they after?" Gali asked.

"Makuta fears for his spell of shadows," Vakama replied.

Gali and Tahu exchanged a glance. "The Mask of Light!" Gali said, suddenly understanding.

"Then they seek the Seventh Toa," Tahu said. Suddenly realizing what that meant, he gasped. "Jaller and Takua!"

"We'll summon the Toa to find them," Gali said.

Tahu stopped her with a quickly outstretched hand, "Don't trouble the others, sister," he said. "l will see to their safety myself."

Gali was surprised at first, then hurt. This had been the kind of discussion the Toa had been tolerating since they had become Toa Nuva. She couldn't stand for it any longer. "No, Tahu. No," she said firmly. "We must remain united."

Tahu turned away from her to look back at his home slowly sinking into lava. For an instant, a sickly yellowish-brown glow flashed through his eyes. Then it was gone. He sighed and turned back to Gali. "If you insist," he said.


	5. Chapter 5

Deep in the jungle of Le-Wahi, the trio of figures wandered slowly, dwarfed by the ancient trees. Takua glanced around from his vantage point on Pewku's back. "l hate the jungle," he said. "It's all sticky and"—he paused to slap at something that had landed on his neck—"full of bugs."

"How can you say that?" Jaller exclaimed. "It's incredible! Geez, is there any place on Mata Nui where you do feel at home?"

"l don't complain about Ta-Koro."

"But you wander off every chance you get, looking for stories," Jaller reminded his friend. "What about your story?"

"I don't have a story," Takua insisted with a shrug.

"Only 'cause you won't stand still long enough to make one," Jaller said. "We all have a destiny, you know."

"You know me," Takua said lightly. "Always different."

Suddenly a fierce roar blasted through the jungle. Pewku stopped short, trembling.

Takua gulped. "Yet another reason to hate the jungle," he whispered. "Go that way, Pewku!"

Pewku changed direction. The Mask of Light, which Jaller was still holding, began to fade. "No," Jaller said. "The mask says this way. Back on track, Pewku." He waited, but the Ussal continued in the new direction. "Pewku!"

Pewku whined nervously. Slowly, she turned back to the original track. The Ussal stepped forward. She blinked as something—a large shape, blurred with speed—passed in front of them.

Takua didn't notice. "Will you stop with the duty thing and use your head?" he said to Jaller. "Or do you want to be jungle snacks?"

"Guess I should listen to the real Herald," Jaller retorted sarcastically. He smacked himself in the forehead. "No, wait! You weaseled out. So _I'm _in charge."

Pewku stopped short as a fierce-looking creature stepped out in front of them. It was an ash bear, all teeth and claws.

Takua noticed it. "Fine," he told Jaller, his voice shaking slightly as he pointed to the ash bear. "You're doing great so far."

The ash bear let out a mighty roar. Takua, Jaller, and Pewku shrieked in response. Takua and Jaller ducked as the ash bear's claws swatted at them. Pewku turned and fled, scampering behind a large tree.

The ash bear lunged around the tree in pursuit. Pewku changed direction, heading back the other way around the tree's trunk. But the ash bear was too quick, blocking their way once more. It swiped at them again, missing by the merest fraction. Its claws met the tree trunk instead, leaving deep gashes in the bark.

"Keep him busy!" Jaller said, grabbing the trunk and starting to climb. "I'm…"

"Running away and leaving me!" Takua finished for him. The ash bear made another lunge, backing Takua and Pewku against the tree.

JalIer swung up onto a branch directly overhead. "Just watch!" he called down to his friends. "Toa Tahu does this! YAAA!"

He jumped out of the tree—right onto the ash bear's broad back. But he'd misjudged his leap and wound up facing the creature's hindquarters. The ash bear turned away from Takua and Pewku. It grunted and roared angrily as it leaped and twisted, trying to dislodge Jaller.

Takua and Pewku raced out of range. "Toa Tahu does that?" Takua muttered, turning to watch as Jaller hung on for dear life.

"Whoa!" Jaller cried, feeling his grasp slip. He had to hold on! If he fell off now…

Before he could finish the thought, a sudden gust of wind swirled through the leaves. At the same time, a vine snaked out of the brush, coiling around the ash bear's front foot. The ash bear growled in surprise as another vine followed the first, wrapping around the creature's back feet and looping them together. The vines tightened, and the ash bear was hoisted off the jungle floor. Jaller finally lost his grip and crashed to the ground, landing face-first.

"Oof!" he grunted.

A tall green figure dropped down out of the foliage above.

"Toa Lewa!" Takua cried. "The spirit of the air!"

He bowed to the Toa, while Jaller rolled painfully to a sitting position. Lewa grinned. "Mata Nui!" he exclaimed to Jaller. "Where'd you learn to bear-fight like that, little one?"

Jaller rubbed his sore back. "Right here," he said with a groan, "just now."

Lewa playfully grabbed Jaller, setting him gently on his feet. "Well, I'd say you're a natural, brave firespitter," the Toa said.

Jaller sighed, thankful for the compliment, but embarrassed a Toa had to see that display. He turned back to the hanging, captive animal and drew his guard sword. "Guess I'd better finish what I started."

Toa Lewa held up a hand, though. "Now, now. What's that for? You and ash bear got no wrong-quarrel? She was just doing her duty." He patted the upside-down bear on the head. "If this was your home realm, you'd do the same." He released the vines, lowering the ash bear to the ground. The ash bear immediately leaped up and growled. Takua and Jaller stepped back, leaving Lewa alone to face the ash bear. The Toa spoke soothingly to the creature. "Go on now, sister-bear, Graalok."

The ash bear hesitated. Then she turned and lumbered off into the jungle.

Jaller and Takua were amazed. But now that the ash bear was gone, Lewa had other things on his mind. "Word is deep-wood that you seek the Seventh Toa," he said.

Takua gestured toward Jaller, eager to make corrections. "He seeks, I follow. He's the herald; I'm just his biographer."

Jaller scowled at Takua, but Lewa didn't notice.

"lf Toa Lewa helped on your search, might he be a spirit-lift?" Lewa offered.

Takua and Jaller glanced at each other in amazement. The mighty Toa wanted to travel with them? "You?" Takua said.

Lewa nodded.

"With us?"

Lewa nodded again.

"We'd be honored to have you walk with us!" Jaller added eagerly.

Lewa glanced upward. "Walk?" he said. "Ha ha! Not never! If you ride with me, there'll be no foot-walkin'…just airflyn'!" With that, the Toa whistled a distinct jingle. There was a whoosh from overhead. A giant, hawk-like Gukko bird swooped out of the trees and hovered above them. Lewa grinned at the two Matoran. "Ever wind-fly a Gukko bird?"

Jaller shook his head, his eyes wide. But Takua shrugged. "I've been a second," he said, earning a surprised look from Jaller. "But I've never flown one myself."

Lewa grabbed Takua and Jaller and tossed them up onto the Gukko. They landed sitting right behind the bird's head, with Takua in the front.

"Then today's for quick-learnin'," Lewa declared as the Matoran yelped in surprise. "Stay sharp, and follow-well!" He spread his arms, the air katana blades he carried locking into his shoulders. Then he leaped into the air.

As the Gukko wheeled to follow the Toa, Takua glanced down and noticed Pewku watching anxiously from the ground. "Sorry, Pewku," he called to her gently. "No room. Go on home, to Ta-Koro."

Pewku's head drooped sadly. She let out a soft whine as the Gukko bird flapped through the treetops and disappeared.

Takua and Jaller soon got the hang of following the Gukko's movements as it swooped and glided through the air after Lewa. "Hey, I'm good at this!" Takua cried out as the bird dove through a grove of trees. Takua ducked just in time, but Jaller ended up with a mouthful of leaves.

He spat them out. "As compared to _what_?" he asked Takua.

The Gukko veered again. Nearby, Lewa did an amazing loop-the-loop in mid-air, then swooped over to glide along beside the bird and its passengers. "Ha!" the Toa exclaimed. "l was so eager to join your search, I forgot I'm not the way-finder. Herald, do the honors!"

Jaller raised the mask. It glowed brightly, leading them up through the jungle canopy and over the treetops toward the steep, snow-covered peaks of the Ko-Wahi region, where Kopaka's people made their home.

Soon they reached a snowy plateau. In the background, sheer cliffs rose into ice-covered peaks. The Gukko glided to a landing, stopping abruptly as its feet touched down. Taken by surprise, Takua and Jaller flipped forward over its head, landing face-first in the snow. Takua reached around blindly for something to help himself up. His hand found a rock and used that to push against.

Surprisingly, the rock sank and spoke when he did. "Mmmmpff! Gt ff mh!"

That rock had been Jaller's head, which meant Takua had just shoved him deeper into the snow face-first.

Jaller sat up and glared at Takua, who started brushing the snow off him before being slapped away. Takua shrugged. "What?" he said. "We're here."

Jaller raised the Mask of Light and spun slowly in place. The mask brightened as he faced a ravine between two snow-capped peaks. "Hey!" Jaller said to Takua in surprise as the Gukko flew off. "You even kept us on the right path. Not bad for a Kolhii-head."

He glanced around, looking for Lewa. The Toa was standing at the cliff's edge, looking out over the jungle with an expression of concentration. As Takua and Jaller stepped toward him, they heard the faint sound of tribal drums in the distance.

Lewa turned toward them, looking unusually solemn. "The drums of Le-Koro bring a sorry-bad story," he told them. "Your village has fallen to…Rahkshi, the Makuta's sons."

Jaller could hardly believe his ears. "My village, in trouble?" he cried, stricken. "I'm the Captain of the Guard…l should have been there! I must return!"

"Sorry, brave fire-spitter," Lewa said gently. "Past-late to help now. The mask most needs you."

Jaller turned, shoving the mask into Takua's hands. "Takua will continue in my place."

"Uh-uh, no way!" Takua said quickly, "You accepted this duty."

"I accepted _your _duty!" Jaller shot back.

"Stop!" Lewa ordered sternly. He stepped between them. "What's this duty-quarrel? We all have a duty to Mata Nui. No time to in-fight." Takua and Jaller exchanged a guilty glance. "l must go be with the Toa," Lewa said. "But then I'll go to your village, Jaller. Heart-promise."

Jaller bowed to the Air Toa. "I…can't thank you enough, Toa."

Lewa leaped into the air and glided out of sight. Jaller grabbed the mask back from Takua and headed for the ravine, then Takua turned and followed.

X X X

Dark storm clouds gathered over the mountain peaks as the two Matoran struggled through the snowdrifts. On a ridge overlooking the valley, a dark shape watched their progress. Jaller and Takua never noticed it as they clambered through the icy drifts.

Takua paused as the whirling snow cleared just long enough to offer him a glimpse of an odd-looking stone with writing carved on it. "Stop!" he called breathlessly to Jaller. "Does something look familiar here?"

"You mean besides everything?" Jaller panted, gazing around at the whiteout conditions.

"l mean this!" Takua pointed at the stone. "We've passed this at least a million times. And look…" He pointed again, this time to footprints in the snow leading off ahead of them. "Those are either our footprints or the steps to a Le-Matoran dance."

"Well, don't blame me!" Jaller said. "I'm following the mask."

"Fine! Let's all freeze to death because the mask says to," Takua retorted.

Jaller turned and kept walking. Neither he nor Takua noticed as the mask gradually dimmed.

"Well, _maybe _our path would be straighter if the _real _Herald had the mask," Jaller snapped.

"The 'real' Herald _has _the mask," Takua returned. "I couldn't find water if I fell out of a canoe."

"Well, what do you think I can find?" Jaller said. "I—_oof_!" His words cut off as he slammed into a tall white figure, almost hidden in the blowing snow.

Takua's eyes widened as the ominous shapes of six white creatures towered over them. "Uh, so far you're good at big scary…_Bohrok_!" Kohrok to be exact.

Jaller's heart was pounding with fright. The Bohrok were among the most terrifying creatures ever to threaten Mata Nui. But these…why did they just stand there, as still as the mountain itself? "Frozen…?" he murmured as he realized the truth. "What could do this to them?"

Suddenly one of the Bohrok lurched forward. Jaller and Takua jumped in fright. The Bohrok crashed to the ground…revealing a very different figure standing behind it.

"Kopaka Nuva!" Jaller exclaimed, as Kopaka halted the icy storm that had been active due only to his will. "Toa of Ice! H-how did you find us?"

"It was _you _who were following _me_," Kopaka replied, his icy voice full of suspicion.

Jaller kept a nervous eye on the Toa's ice blade. "We were?" Jaller said.

Kopaka finally put his blade away. He turned and walked off without another word.

Takua and Jaller exchanged a glance. Both were thinking the same thing—the Toa of Ice would make a very useful guide in this frozen wasteland. They hurried after him. "We didn't mean to!" Takua called after Kopaka, struggling to keep up with him in the deep snow. "We were lost."

"We're on a mission!" Jaller added, holding up the Mask of Light. "We've been sent to find the Seventh Toa!" he said, the words tumbling out of him eagerly. "I assume you've heard of it?"

"No."

Kopaka hadn't even looked back, just kept walking. Jaller was at first surprised that Kopaka didn't even ask about a 'Seventh Toa', then realized he shouldn't have been; of all people, Kopaka would be the one to see yet another Toa on the island as less than a good thing. Jaller tried to keep up. "Oh…well you see, Takua was in the Ta-Wahi lava break, where he's not supposed to be, by the way, and I told him—"

Kopaka halted, silencing him with an upraised hand.

"Ulp," Jaller blurted. "Sorry."

Kopaka turned around. "You are the Chronicler," he said, pointing to Takua.

Takua was a bit unnerved by the Toa's icy gaze, almost feeling threatened by the tone of an innocent observation. "Uh, yes," he stammered.

Kopaka looked thoughtful. "Your stories have aided the Toa in the past," he said. "l will take you to my village of Ko-Koro. State your purpose to the Turaga." He strode off, not bothering to look and see if they were following.

X X X

Lewa glided to a landing behind Tahu and Gali. He walked the last few paces to where Tahu was kneeling, staring into the Lake of Fire. Of the fire village, Lewa could see nothing. Tahu stood up and turned to Lewa, who offered his fist. Tahu clanked it with his own greeting. Then, Lewa waited for Tahu to speak.

"Ta-Koro is gone, Lewa," Tahu said heavily. "Buried by the very lava that sustained it."

Gali's gaze rested on Tahu. She reached out to touch the scratch on his mask, which appeared to be spreading. "Tahu…" she began.

Tahu brushed away her hand. "You worry about _scratches_?" he said angrily to Gali. "My village is gone! Your power was nothing! My power was…" He sighed in defeat. "Nothing."

Lewa put a hand on Tahu's shoulder. "We are same-hearted, brother. And that heart will quicken us to stop the evil-spread."

"But first we must be united," Gali said, putting her arms around both of them. "Together we are strong."

Without answering either of them, Tahu shoved Gali's arm off with a grunt. Then he turned and stalked away.

X X X

Takua, Jaller, and Kopaka Nuva rounded a hill of ice. Before them spread a snowy valley. Steep cliffs rose on the far side. Set into one of the cliffs was a village, accessible only by a bridge of ice. "Ko-Koro," Kopaka sighed. They had arrived at its location. He zoomed in with his Kanohi Nuva's telescope to observe it from afar.

But something was wrong. The village wall had fallen. Huts were in shambles, and smoke rose from the ruins. There was no one in sight. "No…" Kopaka breathed.

Jaller and Takua looked harder, squinting in response to Kopaka's reaction. Their eyes widened as well when they saw the rising smoke. They raced toward the ice bridge, wanting to help.

Kopaka glanced up as a dark shadow fell over the valley. "Stop!" he shouted.

Takua and Jaller skidded to a halt. The bridge was just ahead, stretching over a deep chasm. From below the lip of the gorge, three terrifying figures hovered into view.

The trio of Rahkshi landed in front of the awestruck Matoran, unfolding their legs to stand at full height. Takua and Jaller gawked up at the hideous creatures, frozen with fear. The Fragmenter-Rahkshi, Panrahk planted its staff in the snow. A zigzagging bolt arced into the air, then down toward the helpless pair.

Kopaka slid toward them, his shield up. The ice shield deflected the bolt, its energy knocking the Toa backward. The bolt blasted back toward the Rahkshi, shooting a plume of snow into the air as the creatures dove for safety.

Panrahk let out an angry roar. Kopaka climbed to his feet and raced away with Takua and Jaller close behind him. The Rahkshi chased them, launching bolt after bolt of energy, which rained down all around the fleeing trio.

Suddenly Kopaka stopped short, flinging out his blade to block the Matoran's path. Takua and Jaller slid to a stop, realizing that they were about to race right off of a steep cliff that dropped away into a treacherous ravine.

"Prepare," Kopaka ordered, turning to face their pursuers.

Jaller and Takua blinked, confused, as the Toa tossed his shield facedown onto the snow beside them. Suddenly realizing what Kopaka meant for them to do, Jaller shook his head. "The Captain of the Guard never runs awaaaaaaay!"

His last word was lost in a cry of terror as Takua pushed him onto the shield and jumped aboard himself. The momentum carried the shield skidding toward the cliff. It toppled on the edge, then tipped down, sliding faster and faster along the impossibly steep decline.

Kopaka hardly heard their fading screams. He faced the Rahkshi as they closed in on him. The Fragmenter-Rahkshi sent yet another bolt of energy arcing toward him. Kopaka somersaulted away, dodging the bolt. As he came down, he tossed his twin blades onto the snow. He landed on them, turning them into power ice skates, on which he glided down the cliff face.

The Rahkshi watched him go, their burning eyes sparking with anger.

Jaller clutched the edge of the shield-sled, now too terrified to scream. The shield sped down the cliff at an awesome speed. He was relieved to see Kopaka appear beside them. As they neared the bottom of the slope, Takua pointed ahead. "Dead end!" he cried. The base of the cliff sloped into a sheer rock face. Only a narrow ravine leading to a small lake offered a path through.

Kopaka zoomed ahead of the shield. Bending his knees, he reached back and grabbed the front edge, pulling it behind him as he veered into the ravine.

"Whoaaaaa!" Takua and Jaller yelled as they felt themselves skid up the ravine wall. But Kopaka yanked the shield back onto the icy path. They sped down the ravine's crevice.

_BOOM! _An arc of dark energy smashed into the snow right in Kopaka's path. The shock waves knocked him off his feet, sending him rolling into the snow. The shield flipped over, dumping Takua and Jaller as well. They tumbled head over heels, landing on the very edge of a lake.

The Fragmenter-Rahkshi hissed triumphantly as it hovered down toward him. The other two Rahkshi were right behind the first.

Takua sat up. "Jaller?" he said. Jaller looked at him, his eyes widening as he spotted the Rahkshi. The creatures hovered right past Kopaka, who appeared to be unconscious, heading straight for the two Matoran.

"Why us?" Jaller said. "What did we do?"

Takua spotted the Mask of Light in his friend's hand. "The mask!" he cried. He grabbed the mask, which started glowing brighter than ever. Pushing Kopaka's shield onto the cold water of the lake, he jumped on, using the mask as a paddle.

Left behind, Jaller watched nervously as the Rahkshi approached. He dove out of the way as they hovered toward him. But they didn't even glance his way. Their glowing eyes were focused on Takua. They hovered out over the water, following him.

Takua paddled as hard as he could. But with every glance back, he saw the Rahkshi gaining on him. Finally they were close enough to reach out for him with their clawed arms. Takua held the mask close to his chest as the creatures hissed threateningly, grabbing at him. _I guess this is it, _he thought hopelessly as a clawed hand snapped only a whisper away from his face.

Just then his gaze caught motion back on the lakeshore. Kopaka was awake—he was swinging his ice blade overhead. A second later a blast of elemental ice spun through the air, heading straight for the Rahkshi!

The icy blast hit the Panrahk and knocked it off balance. It crashed into the other two creatures, and all three of them toppled and landed in the lake with a splash.

"Ha!" Takua cried excitedly, leaning over the edge of the shield to look at the spot where the Rahkshi had disappeared. A clawed hand shot up, only inches from his face. "Yaaaa!" Takua yelped, pulling his head back.

"Rahkshi," Kopaka said with amusement. "Washed…and…chilled." He twirled his blade, then stabbed the point into the edge of the lake. The water crystallized instantly into ice, the deep freeze spreading rapidly until the entire lake was frozen solid.

The Rahkshi, who were just reaching the surface, were trapped in place, save for one hand that had broken the surface. Even that, though, was frozen in encasing ice by the Toa's will.

Kopaka pulled his blade out of the ice and walked toward Takua. For a moment Jaller, too, was frozen in place by the sheer amazement of the Toa Nuva's power, then he came to his senses and joined Kopaka out on the ice.

"Good moves," Kopaka said when they reached Takua.

Takua shrugged. "Even I get lucky sometimes," he said, a little awed by the words of praise from the Ice Toa.

"Not luck," Kopaka corrected, as he straightened Takua's mask for him. He hadn't even noticed it was askew from the action. "It is what you do that makes a hero."

There was a sound from behind them. All three whirled around to look. "Nooo, stop—" Jaller said nervously, backing up.

"—Pewku!" Takua cried in amazement as he saw the familiar form of the Ussal crab trotting across the ice. He, opposite Jaller, stepped forward to meet her.

Pewku ran toward him. Her feet skidded on the slippery ice, and she wound up crashing into Takua, knocking him over. Takua laughed and hugged her. "Wow!" he said. "She must have come all the way through the jungle."

"Not bad," Jaller said with a smile. "Maybe Pewku should be the herald, eh, Toa Kopa—?"

He turned to glance at the Toa. But the spot where Kopaka had been standing just a moment before was empty. The Toa was back on the shore, leaping up the sheer face of the icy cliff.

Jaller blinked. "He just left us here!"

Takua nodded, remembering the distressing view of Ko-Koro. "He needs to see to his village." He held the Mask of Light toward his friend.

Jaller started to reach for it, then hesitated. "You were looking pretty Herald-like back there. Sure you don't want to hang on to it?"

Takua slapped the mask against Jaller's chest. "Tempting," he said as the mask's glow slowly faded. "But no."


	6. Chapter 6

In spite of having his doubts about ever finding the Artakha Refuge, Aodhan was glad to have something a bit more immediately practical to do. Gali's last order for him and Tiribomba to travel to Ko-Koro and warn the residents there while also asking Kopaka about the Refuge struck a good compromise, in his eyes. There was one flaw with this plan: neither he nor Tiribomba were expert navigators of Ko-Wahi's land.

They had quickly gotten lost in the drifts. Someone was to blame for this, and Aodhan knew who. "You and your bright ideas!" he snorted, shoving Tiribomba.

"Well, I thought Ko-Koro was around here someplace!" the latter replied, shivering.

Aodhan folded his arms roughly, more for heat than for his attitude. Then he unfolded them to point. "I think we've been this way already. I recognize that snow drift."

Tiribomba gave a questioning look. "How can you tell one snow drift from another?"

"It takes _skill_," Aodhan replied matter-of-factly, bickering with his companion.

"Okay, Ko-Koro must be somewhere nearby," Tiribomba told himself, ignoring the snow-drift-spotting skills. "I say we go right!"

"Well I say left," Aodhan replied, just to be difficult. "We have to choose—it's getting colder!"

"Fine! We'll go left," Tiribomba conceded. They had to get out of the sharp wind, and he had no reason to trust his direction over Aodhan's. The two turned left and continued down a "path." The "path" had no footprints or signs to designate it as a route, but it was a narrow flat walkway between a steep slope leading off a cliff to the left, and a steep slope leading up the mountain to their right. They continued walking until they reached a small, open area, surrounded on most sides by stretching mountain walls. Looking upward, the snow-capped peaks of the mountains were indistinguishable from the whiteout sky.

They looked around for a few minutes. "This doesn't look like Ko-Koro to me," Aodhan pointed out flatly, "or better yet this 'Great Refuge' either."

Tiribomba was about to give up as well, when he noticed a tunnel in one of the walls. "Hey, come over here," he said, moving over to the tunnel. Next to the opening there was a rock with a carved message: TO ONU-KORO. "If we can't find Ko-Koro, should we just take this to Onu-Koro, and tell the Matoran there to spread the word?" A rumble passed through the mountain. "Hey, did you hear that?"

A second later, tons of snowfall came from the cliffs overhead. "Yep! No choice—run!" Aodhan yelled, as the avalanche came down toward them. He grabbed his friend's hand and pulled the two of them into the safety of the tunnel as the tons of snow landed in and around the clearing.

X X X

A short distance away, on the shores of a frozen glacial lake, the setting sun's rays touched the end of a staff protruding out of the ice. As the last light faded and dusk fell, the staff and everything else fell into dark shadow.

For a long moment, nothing moved. Then a flicker of dark energy burst out of the end of the staff. The ice around it splintered and began to crack and melt.

X X X

Hahli had done enough waiting. After the attack on Ta-Koro, foreign Matoran had returned to their respective villages, while the population of Ta-Matoran had split into smaller groups and were offered shelter by the other villages. At first, the majority of them hadn't wanted to leave their home of Ta-Wahi, staying close to the site of Ta-Koro's descent, but the Turaga had insisted that it was in their best interest to have some manner of protection while the Toa Nuva were occupied.

This meant that Hahli had returned to Ga-Koro along with her sisters and Turaga Nokama, along with some visiting Ta-Matoran. The Ta-Matoran Guard had split up among the villages, too, disoriented without their Captain, but not incompetent. Still, she had her own mission—finding the remaining Crystals.

After journeying across the island and seeing the other settlements, trying to return to normal life felt wrong. On top of that, knowing the Rahkshi were out there hunting Jaller and Takua didn't help either. She should be out there, like them.

Hahli made her choice, preparing herself to leave again. She grabbed her satchel, ensuring that all her necessary materials were in it—especially the two crystals she had collected thusly.

"Has seeing the rest of Mata Nui's beauty diminished your love for Ga-Wahi so greatly?"

Hahli turned to see Nokama in the doorway. She knew Nokama wasn't serious about her disliking her home, but perhaps she did owe an explanation. "No. But I do have to travel to four other villages still."

Nokama entered. "Oh? And what grand errand necessitates this dangerous journey?"

Hahli held out the two crystals, each a representation of a Matoran principle. "I need the other four Crystals," she said. "Even you asked me to find them."

"That was before I was aware Rahkshi were on Mata Nui," Nokama defended. "But still, you put me in a difficult place. I don't doubt that the crystals bear importance, but I hesitate to sacrifice your safety for them."

Hahli put the crystals back. "Nixie and I have been working on a formula that may change the history of Mata Nui," she said, reflecting, thinking, and speaking all at once. "These crystals are even more important now that Jaller and Takua are searching for a Seventh Toa. I need to help; I have to go."

Nokama's voice was equally firm and neutral, its undertone indecipherable. "Hahli, you are but a Matoran among shadows and giants," she said, causing Hahli to slump, downcast. "And yet," the Turaga of Water continued, "I have seen you prevail in ways not thought of you. I have watched you grow and change." Hahli looked back up at her elder, who put a comforting hand on her, drawing her close. "Matoran have proven themselves to be more than meets the eye. And in you, I sense a great destiny."

Hahli didn't know how to answer. Just as she opened her mouth to thank Nokama, she went on. "You know that as your guardian, I must question your safety. Will you take anyone with you—Amaya or Macku, perhaps?"

Hahli's features became stronger as she started confidently for the door. "No, Turaga. Somehow I feel like this is something I have to do alone."

"Then travel with awareness and wit," Nokama bid her. "And walk safely in the light."

Hahli paused, grinning at that. She remembered that Vakama had said something similar to Jaller on the start of his quest with Takua. She nodded her acknowledgement to Nokama, left her hut and Ga-Koro behind, and began her journey northward to Po-Koro.

X X X

Tahu wobbled back and forth, trying to get used to adapting his magma swords for water surfing instead of lava surfing. Water moved much faster than molten rock and mineral, exhibited different viscous behaviors, and as such, proved to be a very different mode of transportation. Thanks to Gali controlling the tidal wave they were riding though, he knew he really had little to fear. Once he gained balance again, his eyes scanned upward. He spotted a dot in the distant sky—Lewa, who had flown ahead to scout.

The three had left the sinking remains of Ta-Koro to pursue the Rahkshi and slow them down. On the way, Lewa told them about Jaller and Takua's journey through the jungle and into the mountains. There, they were fortunate enough to have encountered the Toa Nuva of Ice after his check-in on Ko-Koro.

It was during this meeting that Gali suggested a new meeting. "We will need a time to check on each other and plan as we fight these foes," she had said. "Let us plan to meet no later than twelve hours from now, at the Tiro Canyon pass."

It was also during this reunion that Kopaka had described his experience with the Rahkshi, Takua, and Jaller, and that Ko-Koro had similarly been attacked. To break their discussion, he had directed them to the frozen lake before leaving. Tahu, Lewa, and Gali then journeyed to the frozen lake, only to find the Rahkshi already escaped and gone. Luckily, their tracking skills from their experience with the Bohrok-Kal helped, and they found and then followed a trail.

"You were right—the Rahkshi were headed for Po-Koro," Gali said. She recalled her Tahu's comment as she surfed next to him on her bare feet. He had been the one to state that the traces seemed to lead to the northern desert. Her arms were bent but stretched in front of her, directing the fifty-foot wave across the dry expanse of Po-Wahi.

Tahu jerked his magma board back into the flow another time. "They will go no further," he assured the Toa of Water. As he spoke, she saw the scar in his mask glow brightly, its intensity increasing next to his anger. "We _will _stop them now!" Tahu jumped off of the wave and landed on a rock spire to catch his breath and rest his legs momentarily. "These creatures will not stop the coming of the Seventh Toa—this I swear! We will send them scurrying back to Makuta, and—"

The ground shifted beneath the Toa of Fire's board. Tahu looked down just in time to see it complete its disintegration, courtesy of Guurahk. Gali cried from up above, but Tahu barely heard. He grunted several consecutive times as he hit five pointed outcroppings before landing hard on the rocky ground. "Oof!" he couldn't help but yell, as the sound was forced from him. His swords lay scattered out of reach. He thought he heard Gali say something, but he couldn't be sure—he was too dazed.

Tahu pushed himself up, looking down at the dry desert rock. Then a tall shadow wielding a staff overtook him. Tahu flipped over to see Lerahk towering over him, raising its staff high. If he remained there moment more, his troubles would be over—the Rahkshi would see to that. But this day—like every other day—Tahu had no intention of choosing defeat. He pushed himself all the way over onto his back, moving closer to one of his swords in the process. Then he reached out and grabbed it, just as he back-rolled away from the Rahkshi's stab into the ground.

"Close, monster…but your aim is as poor as your breath, it seems," Tahu muttered. He charged at the green armored reptile, jumping toward it. When it defensively raised its staff, Tahu jumped off the center bar to propel himself over the creature. When he landed on the other side, he immediately curled into a roll, picking up his other sword. Once he had it, he spun both and turned back to face his opponent. Angrily, he dashed back at it again.

X X X

Gali surveyed Tahu's fight from her watery perch, commanding the flow to lower her to the ground. She drew her axes and started toward the Toa of Fire and poison-Rahkshi, but was halted by the blue-armored Rahkshi, Guurahk. It was tall—taller even than the Toa—with an arched back and spine with a line of fins protruding down it. It carried in its hands a long staff with two double-pronged forks on the ends. It slowly stalked toward her, the head opening up to reveal a screeching worm inside.

_What are you, creature? _Gali thought to herself in shock, seeing nothing like this anywhere else in the natural world. The very sight of it chilled her soul as nothing had since her fight with Makuta himself.

The Rahkshi suddenly changed its movement, switching from slowly approaching to jamming one end of the staff into the ground. From the puncture, an angle of energy expanded on the ground outward, encompassing Gali. Then the ground suddenly disintegrated into a fissure, dropping Gali into a newly-made chasm.

"The ground—!" the Toa Nuva of Water cried as she just barely caught onto the nearest edge. She cried in pain as her own weight damaged her right shoulder, wrenching it. Her hand and arm were starting to go tingly and numb, the nerves having been damaged. With her left arm, she drew an axe and hooked its blade on the edge of the chasm. _It looks like the Rahkshi is coming to finish the job! _Gali told herself, as the Rahkshi came over to her. Casually, it moved one end of its staff to the side, as if to simply brush her remaining supports off the ledge.

Suddenly, it was swooped off its feet by a fast-moving flash of green and silver. "Hard-luck, Rahkshi—Lewa Nuva is too ever-quick for you!" Lewa shouted, having swung from a mountain tree's vine and caught the Rahkshi between his legs, taking the creature with him.

It turned out that though the Rahkshi could fly, they did not enjoy being passengers. The Guurahk screeched in irritation, looking up at Lewa. It charged its staff with power before swinging its long reach overhead, easily severing Lewa's vine.

"Hey!" Lewa cried, as the two began to tumble through the air, the momentum changed at an awkward position. Lewa tried to get a view of their destination, but only got a few glimpses.

Even so, he didn't like it.

X X X

Tahu landed two more consecutive blows on the Lerahk. It didn't seem to have an appreciable effect, but he taunted just the same, "You're weakening, Rahkshi!" The Lerahk responded with a screech from its headplate that was so foul in appearance and scent that Tahu had to back off for just a moment.

"Tahu, move!"

Tahu turned to look in the direction of where he had heard Gali's voice cry out. He saw her kneeling by a large fissure in the ground, pointing with one hand behind him. Spinning that way, he was just in time to see Lewa and Guurahk smash into him at high speed. That didn't ease any of the creature's frustration. As the three lay in a heap, it lifted its staff to skewer Tahu there on the ground. Lewa made a quick Kanohi change to his Pakari Nuva. Still on the ground, he grabbed the Rahkshi's arm, halting the blow. Then, pushing against the ground with his free hand, he threw the Rahkshi away from him and Tahu.

Gali joined the other two, now cornered against a stone cliff. The Guurahk landed not far from the Panrahk and Lerahk, and the three then surrounded the Toa against the wall. The Rahkshi were not able to speak, but they were perceptive, seeing that though the Toa fought well, they did not work together. That was a weakness they could use.

Lerahk stabbed the end of its staff into the ground, causing a sickly green poison to crawl along, surrounding the Toa. Lewa started to levitate higher, but energy blasts from Guurahk caused him to duck lower.

Gali watched the ground dissolve in sadness. "The earth is screaming, Lewa…we have to stop this poison!" She began firing water blasts at the substance in an attempt to mitigate and contain it.

Tahu looked with annoyance at Gali, the scar on his Kanohi glowing the same green as the poison on the ground. "We have _bigger_ problems, sister! Look!"

The Toa turned to the last Rahkshi, the brown-armored variant, Panrahk. It charged its staff and aimed over head.

"It's aiming at the cliffside!" Tahu finished, as the fragmenting blast blew the monolithic tip to rubble, raining down on the Toa Nuva. "It's coming down! There's no time to dodge! I—unnngh!"

The last part of Tahu's phrase was cut off but the showering of tons of rock. The avalanche continued on for several long seconds before finally subsiding. The Rahkshi stayed and watched for only a moment or two, before deciding that they would not see those Toa again.

X X X

When Hahli arrived at Onewa's home in Po-Koro, the first thing he did was give Hahli attention for her victory in Ta-Koro. "It was an unforgettable match," the Turaga exclaimed, trying to cheer the mood despite the hard times. "You are strong and quick, Hahli of Ga-Koro. You will always be welcome in our village. May safety be with you in these times, Hahli. What brings you to Pohatu Nuva's region?"

Hahli got right to the point. "I'm here to ask you about the Crystal of Creation," she said. "I know that Vakama and Nokama found crystals relating to their people's principles not long after they were made. Did you receive a note and crystal like that?"

Onewa shook his head, surprised, but believing. "Yes. I had a similar experience to them—we all found something like that. And with Rahkshi on the loose, there can be no delay. I stowed it in a place along the Path of Prophecies. I had Hafu build in a hiding place into one of the statues there, just in case. When this crystal appeared, I chose to use it then. As I hid it for later, it became to me the Temple of Creation."

Hahli thanked Onewa and left for the front of the village, where its main road was lined on both sides with statues constituting the Path of Prophecies. Scanning over them, she found side-by-side slots acting as the locks. These read: 'One for All' and 'Strategy's Designs', 'The Map to Victory', and 'Pride of Sculptors', which took the Charms of Unity and Destiny, Strategy, and Creation. When all of the locks opened, a slot in the statue opened, giving Hahli the bright, tan-glowing Crystal of Creation.

X X X

Takua, Jaller, and Pewku stopped beside a small tunnel entrance dug out of an icy mountainside. Takua leaned closer to read the writing on a battered old totem that marked the entrance. "Onu-Koro Highway," he read. He glanced at Jaller. "It doesn't look like it's been used in a while. And we don't have a lightstone."

Jaller held up the faintly glowing mask. "Ha! Who needs lightstones?" He led the way into the tunnel. Pewku followed.

Takua hesitated, then stamped his foot and climbed down into the darkness after them. "Tunnels…" he muttered.

The tunnels were too low to allow the Matoran to ride Pewku, so all three of them walked along on foot. Takua was lagging behind. He didn't want to admit it, but being underground made him nervous. It was too still. Too close. And much, much too dark.

Maybe that was why he found himself subconsciously drawn to a strange bioluminescent plant. He glanced at a note inscribed above where it was growing. "Hm…hey." Putting the shape to another use, he plucked two leaves and held them up to his mask, making it look like he had long ears growing out of the top of his head. Feeling them sway in his hands as he moved, he chuckled, "Hey, Jaller, look!"

There was no answer.

"Jaller?"

_Takua…._

Takua stopped short, dropping the leaves out of fright, where their light faded on the ground. Was he hearing things? He peered into the darkness behind him, but there was no sign of life or movement. Not even the glow from the Mask of Light could be seen. "Uh, guys?" Takua called. "Where'd you go?"

_Takua…._

Takua gulped. That time he'd definitely heard it. But who? Where? Why? He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. "Jaller?" he called, racing forward. "JALLER! _Oof—_"

In the blinding dark, he crashed into a wall and fell. An eerie red glow lit up the tunnel. A pair red eyes appeared in the dimness. "Shadows are everywhere," a voice hissed. "And wherever they are, so am l."

Takua backed away from the eyes. His heart was pounding. The Makuta. It had to be. "l know who you are," he said, trying to keep his voice from quavering. "l—I'm not afraid."

"Even my shadow's cannot hide your fear," Makuta said. "Or the truth."

"What truth?" Takua asked.

"That you will not find the Seventh Toa. And deep down, you know it."

"So I won't," Takua said uncertainly. "Maybe Jaller will."

"And if he doesn't?" Makuta's voice was more ominous than ever. "My Rahkshi will not stop hunting the herald. Without the Seventh Toa, you cannot stop them. He will _die,_ because of you. Bring me the mask, Takua. Bring it to me, and you won't lose your friend."

Takua was horrified. Was this his choice? Betray all of Mata Nui—or allow Jaller to die? _Makuta is said to be the master of lies, _he thought. _Maybe this choice is a lie, too…. _"N-no!" he cried, trying to sound bold and sure. "l won't let everyone down."

"You fail them more if you refuse," Makuta said. "For the mask, your villages and Jaller will be spared. Don't be a fool."

"N-no," Takua stammered, confused. "l can't…"

Suddenly a flash of light flooded the tunnel. "Hey!" Jaller's voice called from behind the bright Kanohi Avohkii. A second later he and Pewku appeared. "Keep up, Kolhii-head," Jaller chided. "The mask is pointing this way. l found some better tunnels!"

Takua stared around wildly. But there was no sign of Makuta. Unable to speak, he merely nodded and followed as Jaller and Pewku turned and headed down the tunnel again.

"So where'd you wander off to?" Jaller asked over his shoulder as they walked.

"Jaller," Takua said. "Um, about the mask…."

"What about it?" Jaller asked. Then he smiled. "Are you ready to take it? Finally?"

Takua paused, struggling to make up his mind. "I can't…" He took a deep breath. "…go with you."

"What?" Jaller exclaimed, clutching the mask, which faded slightly. "Why?"

Takua could only shake his head hopelessly. "l…I can't explain," he croaked.

Jaller frowned. "Oh, that's just _great_," he said angrily. "First you stick me with _your _duty and then you ditch me?"

Takua couldn't meet his friend's eyes. "My duty is to myself," he muttered, turning away. "l quit! Just…take the mask and go!"

At that moment, the last of the mask's light faded. "Fine," Jaller said. At his words, the mask's glow returned—at least a little. "But I won't give up. I _will _find the Seventh Toa, whether you're true Herald or not!"

Pewku stood still, staring first after Takua and then Jaller. After some consideration, she turned and followed Takua, while Jaller went down another path.

X X X

Makuta watched Takua's retreat from his lair deep beneath the tunnels, his red eyes glowing with anger. "My fairness spurned…my good will refused," he hissed, turning toward the giant Kanohi Hau, the symbol of Mata Nui, on the wall. "My gentle sons bound in ice." He glared at the mask. "Still, the Toa have learned not to consider them so swiftly defeated; and I learned much from their following victory over the Toa of Fire, Water, and Air. Brute force may win a battle, but it will not bring me the Mask of Light, or force the Matoran to obey." He let out a sigh—one of resignation and hopelessness…for his enemies. "So, my hand is cast."

He turned to face three stone pillars, nearly identical to the ones from which the previous Rahkshi had emerged. As Makuta walked by them, three shadowy forms burst out of them. "Now I must pierce that which the Toa hold dear," Makuta said. "I must strike both physically and mystically. My other sons have yet to walk the surface of Mata Nui."

He stopped in front of one of the new figures—another Rahkshi, this one white in color. Its name was Kurahk—the Anger-Rahkshi. _Kurahk, whose mind-bending anger will disturb their peace and willpower. _"Anger amongst them will threaten their precious unity."

Makuta walked on to another Rahkshi. This time he paused before a Rahkshi that was as black as night. Vorahk—the Hunger-Rahkshi. _Vorahk, whose hunger will rob them of their prosperity and stamina. _"Hunger will consume their duty," Makuta said as the creature's staff quivered with energy.

Finally, the third Rahkshi was colored in fearful shades of red. It came out of the shadows from its generation tube, screeching at the other two. This was Turahk, the Fear-Rahkshi. If Makuta had to pick a favorite son, this one was it…though it was hard to be decisive. _And Turahk, whose mastery of overwhelming, mind-numbing fear will steal their courage and strength_. "And the power of fear will keep them from their destiny."

"Go, my children," Makuta ordered, as the new nightmares left the area. "Turn the light to shadow!" Makuta turned away from the three new Rahkshi, once again facing the still mask of Mata Nui. "They will not disturb your sleep."


	7. Chapter 7

"Are you sure this is the way to Onu-Koro?" Tiribomba asked.

"That's what the sign said."

"What if it was wrong?"

Aodhan glanced over at his partner. "Then you can tell it that next we're there. This was all _your _idea in the first place, anyway. I was just trying to save us!"

"I know…good job with that, by the way," Tiribomba offered.

"They say these tunnels lead everywhere on the island," Aodhan said. "If you find one and walk it long enough, you'll eventually reach the earth village."

The path went straight, then turned right. At the turn, there was a window, looking down into a cave. Sure enough, through the view, they could see the distant village of Onu-Koro. "Wow. This sure is a unique and beautiful view," Tiribomba marvelled. "Look at this place!"

"You look at it," Aodhan muttered, trying not to show how impressed he was. "I miss Ta-Koro."

A while later, Tiribomba had a thought. "Hey, maybe there's a tunnel to the Great Refuge!" he suggested.

Aodhan was about to discredit that claim in some way when he paused. "Hey, look at this…" He was reading a symbol marked low and out of sight by the walkway.

Tiribomba recognized the depiction, showing Kini-Nui with other structures and chambers underground. "That's it! The Refuge must be _beneath _Kini-Nui, near Mangaia! No wonder Makuta was there—he must have been keeping us away!"

Aodhan considered that. It seemed reasonable. But the Rahkshi were recent proof that Makuta was still here, too. How would they get there now? It was at that time he saw something else he hadn't expected to—three Toa Nuva, reaching them from another conjoining tunnel. He bumped Tiribomba on the shoulder. "Look, It's Toa Tahu Nuva, and Gali and Lewa, too." The three Toa spotted the Matoran and came over. "What are you heroes doing here?" Aodhan asked.

Gali related how the Toa had tracked the Rahkshi from their last sighting in Ko-Wahi to Po-Wahi. At the end of the conflict when they met, Tahu's Hau Nuva had been able to save them. When they escaped from the rain of stone, the Rahkshi were gone. The Toa then travelled to Po-Koro, were Onewa denied any threat or presence of Rahkshi. Travelling to the next nearest village, they had taken a tunnel to Onu-Koro.

"And you two? What brings you to these tunnels?" the Toa of Fire asked. The tint of green in one eye and the darkened color of his mask made him look almost like a different person.

Tiribomba almost commented on it, but realized that a Toa saw battle often, so he didn't ask. "We're trying to find the Great Artakha Refuge," he said instead.

"Well, _he _is," Aodhan corrected. "I'd be just as happy going back to Ta-Koro."

Tahu sighed a heavy sigh. He looked away before responding, "Of Ta-Koro…there is little left for you to go back to now. The Rahkshi attack devastated and destroyed the village with poison, disintegration, and fragmentation—nothing still stands. Your new place is with the other Ta-Matoran around the island—not here!"

Gali started to say something about her brother's temper, but held her tongue this time. The two Matoran paused for a minute. Aodhan finally looked over at Tiribomba and said quietly, "Toa Tahu is right."

Tiribomba shook his head. "No…no we're going to find the Artakha Refuge!" He was going to make a more respectful argument to the Toa of Fire, but Tahu responded too quickly.

"I have no time for this useless game!" the Toa of Fire grunted. He shoved the Matoran out of his way as he brushed passed them. "But find your way out through the tunnels. Don't take any shortcuts. And guard yourselves—it is not safe."

With that, Tahu hurried on to Onu-Koro, with Lewa and Gali following quietly behind.

X X X

Pohatu Nuva clanked fists with his good friend, Onua Nuva. "Onua, my friend, it seems bashing granite is treating you well!" It had taken some time for him to reach the northwestern village, only because of his stops in Ga-Koro and Po-Koro.

Onua's booming voice laughed. "Pohatu! Look around you—mining has never been better!" He chuckled again as he put his arm over Pohatu's shoulders and the two began to walk. "Oh—you should join me at it, sometime. You know…try doing a _real _job."

Pohatu gave him a cross look while they walked. Onua met it, but neither could hold it for very long before breaking into jolly laughter again. "Speaking of jobs," Onua continued, "how goes your village's carving?"

Pohatu decided to move the conversation to the reason he visited Onu-Koro. "Their work is magnificent," he said proudly, "but nowhere near as exciting as the _other _tidings I bring." The two Toa had reached the center platform in a public area. There, Pohatu began his speech. "Matoran of Onu-Koro, the Mask of Light has been found!" Thundurus cheers rang out. Pohatu let them die out before continuing. "Even now, Jaller, the Captain of the Guard of Ta-Koro, and Takua the Chronicler seek the Seventh Toa!"

It was during this conferring in the center courtyard of Onu-Koro when Pohatu and Onua heard steps approaching from one of the tunnels. Pohatu saw an exhausted-looking Ussal crab trotting toward him. His eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the figure riding atop the Ussal's back. "Chronicler!" Pohatu exclaimed as Takua and Pewku made their way toward the Toa. "Where is the Herald?"

Takua looked tired and uncertain. He dismounted, allowing Pewku some well-earned rest. "Uh, we got…separated," he said. "After we met the Rahkshi."

Onua and Pohatu exchanged a glance. "Um…'Rahkshi'?" asked Onua.

"What is 'Rahkshi'?" Pohatu asked Takua.

Before Takua could answer, the ground shuddered. The villagers around them cried out in alarm. The Toa of Stone of Earth merely looked around for the source, unamused. Suddenly the cavern wall burst open—and three tall, horrifying figures leaped into view, hissing angrily and wielding long staffs. "Those!" Takua cried, pointing to the Rahkshi. He blinked, realizing that the colors were different—these were red, black, and white. "Except…different ones."

"Just _those _will be plenty for now," said Pohatu readying his climbing claws.

"Clear the cave!" Onua shouted. "And close the tunnel behind you!"

The Onu-Matoran scattered, racing for the tunnels leading away from the cavern. Meanwhile Onua and Pohatu faced the three Rahkshi. "Welcome to Onu-Koro!" Onua rumbled. He slammed his fists onto the ground, creating an elemental tidal wave of earth and stone. The wave rippled toward the Rahkshi and swallowed them.

But when the wave had passed, the Rahkshi rose up again, unharmed. Onua grunted in surprise. The black Rahkshi, Vorahk, leaped toward him, wielding its staff. Onua grabbed at the staff, trying to pull it away.

The Vorahk hissed at Onua as they struggled over the staff. Then, the creature activated it. Dark hunger energy flooded into Onua, instantly draining him of power, channeling it instead back into the Rahkshi's staff. Onua instinctively activated his Kanohi Pakari Nuva, granting him almost unlimited strength. The Rahkshi's staff, however, was faster, draining even that booster.

"My strength," Onua whispered weakly. "My…my power…" His eyes dimmed and he fell over backwards, landing with a mighty crash. He couldn't move—his energy was completely gone, replaced by a gnawing, devastating hunger.

"Onua!" Pohatu cried. He raced toward the red Rahkshi, Turahk. The creature raised its staff, sending dark energy waves rippling out from it. As soon as Pohatu hit the circle of energy, he stopped in midstride, his eyes filled with dark fear. "No," he whimpered, mesmerized by the overwhelming, inescapable fear. All of his worst fears seemed to be exploding within him. "Water, sinking, drowning…!"

Still imprisoned by a wall of fear, Pohatu was unable to help his friend. And the more he struggled against it, the more the terror overwhelmed him—until, with a final moan of helplessness, he collapsed to the ground.

Takua tried to avoid the fleeing villagers as he and Pewku searched for escape as well. The three Rahkshi turned and spotted him in the crowds. Knocking other Matoran out of the way, they stalked after him with a hiss.

Pewku found her way to a tunnel while the Rahkshi were still halfway back across the large cavern. Takua breathed out in relief. They were going to make it!

Then he turned and saw the scene behind him. The Rahkshi were stomping on huts and shoving aside terrified Onu-Matoran. Onua and Pohatu were still sprawled motionless on the cavern floor.

_This is my fault, _Takua realized. _They're destroying everything in their path—to get to me. _"What have I done to these people…?" he mumbled. His eyes hardened with resolve. Grabbing a Kolhii stick that was leaning against a hut nearby, he turned Pewku to face the approaching Rahkshi.

"Yah, Pewku!" he shouted, urging the Ussal onward. "Hyah!"

Pewku tried to do as he said. But so many villagers were fleeing, flowing around them in their race for the tunnel, that they could hardly move forward. Finally Takua gave up. Slumping to the ground, he closed his eyes and waited for the Rahkshi to reach him.

Pewku whined frantically, trying to get him to move. But he pushed her claw aside.

"Go find a real hero," he mumbled miserably. "What can I do?"

At that point, the white-armored Kurahk stalked up to Takua and Pewku, grabbed the Kolhii stick and tossed it away, its Kraata screeching close to Takua's mask.

X X X

At the tunnel's exit to Onu-Koro up ahead, Hahli could hear the sounds of panic and commotion. The first few sounds of metal clanking against rock made her rush forward to the exit, and that was when she heard the screams and saw the devastation. _Rahkshi… _she thought in horror, gazing down at the earthen village from the ledge of the cave's exit. These Rahkshi's colors were different—red, white, and black—but didn't make her think for one second they would be any friendlier.

_If anything,_ she thought, _Makuta sent these only because he thought he had to. That means they won't hold back. _

Hahli raced down the slanted path from the tunnel to the village at the same time as the Onu-Matoran were trying to escape. Homes were being destroyed with the physical staffs of the Rahkshi, and Matoran were fleeing fast away to keep from falling victim to their new powers. Hahli looked for familiar faces within the commotion helping to begin the evacuation. She found Onepu and Nuparu directing Matoran to the different tunnels through which they could escape to different villages.

"Nuparu!" she called. "I need to speak with Whenua!"

Nuparu's eyes widened when he caught sight of Hahli running over to him. "Hahli! What are you _doing _here?" he asked loudly to be heard above the noise. "This is the last place you should be! You're not safe—get out of here!"

"No!" Hahli protested firmly. "I'm here on a mission. Where is Whenua? He's the only one who can help me!"

Nuparu wrestled his decision. He hated to put his friend in danger, but she seemed to know what she was talking about. And the longer he stood around trying to make that decision… "He's back near the village square," Nuparu said, after the fastest seconds of thought he had given anything. "But that's near the Rahkshi! Onua and Pohatu are trying to fight them, but even _they've_ fallen! Hahli, do what you have to, but please be careful."

"I will, thank you," Hahli said quickly, before taking off into a run in the opposite direction of the crowd.

Bumping, pushing, and navigating past the Onu-Matoran, Hahli did quickly find the Turaga of Earth, recognizing his staff, the Drill of Onua, and his Kanohi. Whenua's Noble Ruru gave off a soft glow, revealing its activation and current use. _Whenua is probably using its additional vision powers to help him find the best escape for his people, _Hahli conjectured. "Turaga Whenua!" she called.

"Hahli of Ga-Koro?" he asked, just as surprised as Nuparu had been. "What are you—?"

"No time," Hahli said, now picking up a pace next to him back in the direction of the escape. She pulled out the Crystal of Purity to show to Whenua. "The Temple of Prosperity—where is it?"

Whenua comprehended. "I put the newly created Temple of Prosperity in one of the bottom shafts of the Great Mine. You'll find what you're looking for there. Be swift," he said, glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the Rahkshi, "you may not find a way out much longer."

Hahli nodded and left Whenua, veering off to the still-flooded portion of the Great Mine. Getting a running start, she dove into the water, using her improved skills and tools to go straight to the very bottom. She found a new cave she couldn't reach before, finding the inside to be decorated with a large mechanical device barring further passage. She swam closer, finding what she was looking for—the symbol of the Principle of Prosperity. She fit the Charm of Prosperity into the keyhole, allowing her to pass.

The following doors and locks similarly had symbols of their respective charms. She used the Charms of Duty and Destiny, the Charm of Prosperity, and finally the Charm of Stamina to gain access to the interior. The ultimatum was a large chamber, again with an inscription on the ceiling reading 'Temple of Prosperity.' Like the Temple of Purity, a lone, single pathway led to a dais at the center of the room, which did indeed carry a spherical orb, about the size of her hand, glowing with a light grey luminescence—the Crystal of Prosperity.

Making sure it was safe with her other Crystals, Hahli doubled back and surfaced. From the Great Mine, she ran toward the exit tunnels, wondering how she would make it in time with the Rahkshi running rampant in the village after who knew what. But then, as good fortune appearing from Mata Nui himself, she saw other colors arriving on the scene—those of Toa Nuva.

With a smile that the Matoran's protectors were here, she managed to rejoin the Onu-Matoran exodus and exit the caves.

X X X

Tahu, Lewa, and Gali raced through the tunnel, heading toward the main cavern of Onu-Koro. They skidded to a stop as they reached the end of the tunnel and saw the mayhem in the cavern. Lewa, underground and cut off from the sky _again_, was once again uncomfortable.

Gali watched as the Onu-Matoran fled their home now, too, as the Ta-Matoran had done. She was surprised to see a Ga-Matoran joining the escape, as well, using her Akaku Nuva to identify the Matoran as Hahli. She would have to ask Hahli or Nokama later why she was in Onu-Koro at such a time, but right now, that was far from her first priority.

Meanwhile, Tahu's eyes flashed with anger as he took it in. The poison taint, which had spread to cover half of his face, glowed with frequent pulsations as well. He leaped into the cavern without a word.

"Tahu!" Lewa cried, grabbing at him. But it was too late.

"RAHKSHI!" Tahu bellowed furiously, racing toward the creatures. He charged at the Kurahk first. The white-colored Anger-Rahkshi banged its staff on the ground. A ring of dark energy rippled across the cavern floor, hitting Tahu and knocking him off of his feet. The Fire Toa landed with a grunt on the hard ground. Gali and Lewa leaped out of the tunnel and raced toward the action.

Lewa spotted a small figure huddled on the ground near the Rahkshi. _The Chronicler_, he thought in surprise. _And his crab-friend, Pewku. Looks like they're in bad-need of a rescue. _He glided toward them, grabbing Takua in one arm and Pewku in the other. "Wind-fly!" he yelled, the sound echoing through the tunnels of Onu-Koro. The Rahkshi hissed in frustration as they saw their quarry fly away across the cavern. They turned and stalked after him.

Tahu's eyes glowed dark, anger-energy flashing across them. The poison taint had spread once again and now covered his entire mask. He leaped to his feet.

Gali gasped as she saw that it wasn't just Tahu's mask that was poisoned now. The taint had spread across his entire body! _The Rahkshi's anger-energy must have caused it to spread more rapidly, _she thought in alarm. She took a step toward him. "Brother…?" she said with concern.

"_Fire _has _no _brothers…" Tahu muttered. "Fire consumes ALL!" He slammed his swords into the ground. Jagged fissures of lava burst into life and tore across the ground in all directions. Gali balanced on a pillar of earth as fire consumed the ground on either side.

Tahu looked at her, but there was no recognition in his eyes—only pain, anger and hate. He slammed his swords down again, sending another fissure of lava right at Gali. She somersaulted away just in time as the ground exploded into flame.

X X X

Across the cavern, Lewa glided down and deposited Takua and Pewku beside Onua and Pohatu. "No thought-thinking," the Toa ordered Takua breathlessly. "Quick-speed to Jaller. Warn him!"

"l…er…will," Takua called as the Air Toa glided away, heading toward Tahu and Gali. Takua led the way as he and Pewku raced toward an escape tunnel. But a few strides away, the Ussal veered suddenly, heading through a narrow foundry doorway instead.

"Pewku!" Takua cried. "Where are you going?" He followed her. A moment later, the Rahkshi followed through the foundry door, too.

X X X

At that moment back in the cavern, Pohatu finally came to and sat up. He glanced at Onua, who was pushing himself upright nearby. "Rise and shine, brother," Pohatu joked weakly.

Onua merely groaned in response.

X X X

The heat rolled over Takua in waves as he followed Pewku into the depths of the foundry. Several fires blazed beneath narrow exhaust chimneys cut into the rock ceiling. Mine-cars loaded with lightstones sat on their tracks, waiting to move out.

_Dead end, _Takua realized as he stared around the chamber. _There's no way out except the way we came…and we can't go that way, now._

The trio of Rahkshi emerged from the entry tunnel into the foundry chamber with a loud hiss. Pewku raced toward one of the chimneys. She grunted urgently at Takua and leaped up, scrambling for a hold on the rough rock sides.

Takua took a deep breath. What choice did he have? He leapt up, following the Ussal into the soot-blackened chimney. "Atta girl," he encouraged. "C'mon!" As he struggled to climb up the chimney, he heard the Rahkshi hissing directly beneath him. He tried to climb faster, but it was no use—the Turahk was right behind him. It lunged up, grabbing for his foot.

Suddenly a claw spun into view, pinning the Fear-Rahkshi's arm to the wall just before its clawed hand closed around Takua's leg. It was one of Toa Pohatu's mighty climbing claws! The second claw came right after, pinning the other arm in place, as well.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Takua pulled himself up to safety.

The other two Rahkshi charged toward the Toa. "Your turn," Pohatu chuckled.

"It'll be a pleasure!" Onua charged elemental energy in both hands, then combined them into a single construct before releasing it toward the ceiling. Even as that attack was on its way, the mighty Toa slammed his fists outward into the cavern walls. The section of ceiling directly over the Rahkshi broke during the physical tremor, but rocketed downward upon receiving the elemental command, piling rocks and stone dust over the incoming Rahkshi.

"Well done!" Pohatu congratulated, knocking fists with Onua. "But how did you keep the ceiling—" There was a rumble as the cracks spread. "—from falling on _us_, too!?" Pohatu finished. The two covered their heads from debris as they sought cover from the collapsing cave.

X X X

In the courtyard cavern, Tahu swiped his swords at Lewa, who dodged them easily. Tahu lunged at Lewa again.

Rocks rained down on him from the ceiling, mixed with snow. Suddenly a stream of water struck Tahu from behind. Howling with anger, he turned to find Gali behind him. "Tahu," she called. "Remember who you are! Remember your destiny." She unleashed another stream of continuous water, pummeling the rogue Toa. Tahu's armor steamed as the cool water hit it.

"I _have _no DESTINY!" he roared furiously. Tahu began to walk toward her, despite the high pressure water jet coming at him. "I—agh!" He jumped in surprise as the back of a sword blade touched his neck. He immediately froze from the head down.

Kopaka lowered his ice blade, a regretful expression on his face. "Sorry, brother."

Gali put away her axes and moved toward Tahu, instructing the green and white Toa, "Brothers, let's take him to safety."

Lewa stepped forward. He and Kopaka each took one of the frozen arms, carrying Tahu toward an exit tunnel. Meanwhile, Onu-Wahi continued to collapse and cave-in.

Gali looked around for the last two Toa as she raced after them. After scanning the destroying scene, she saw Onua's quake-breakers smash through the stone of a collapsed foundry entrance. A second later she breathed out with relief as he and Pohatu emerged into the courtyard chamber.

Lewa and Kopaka continued with Tahu, subdued and frozen, into the exit tunnel with Gali following. Once inside the tunnel, she turned back to check on the others' progress. Pohatu and Onua raced across the chamber toward her.

They were steps from safety when there was an ominous rumble. A split second later, the entire cavern collapsed on top of them. Gali gasped in horror. "Our brothers!" she cried as rocks and earth rained down, burying everything in a deep layer of rubble.

She tried to leap out, to go help. But Kopaka stopped her. He gave her a somber look. Gali returned the look for a long moment, then glanced out at the caved-in courtyard area. There was no sound, no movement except the settling dust.

She bowed her head sadly at the resting place of Earth and Stone, and turned to follow the others.

X X X

With a grunt and a clatter, Pewku pulled herself up and out of the top of the chimney. She fell to the snowy ground outside with a sigh of relief. A moment later, Takua clambered out after her. He flopped to the ground, exhausted. He wished he could just lie there, sleeping in the soft snow. But he knew that he couldn't do that.

Pewku grunted questioningly as Takua climbed to his feet. "No time to rest," he told her. "We've got to find Jaller. Come on."


	8. Chapter 8

"Brrrr! I don't know how the Onu-Matoran live down here," Aodhan said, his voice echoing through the tunnel. "Did you bring a lightstone?"

Tiribomba was shocked. "I thought you had it!"

"No mere lightstone can pierce my shadows," a dark voice came about.

This time, Aodhan recognized it. "Makuta! He's here!"

"You still fail to comprehend the blanket of shadow embracing Mata Nui," Makuta responded. "And you still search for a Refuge for the Matoran. But there is no refuge that can cover them from my pursuit."

"If there's really no Refuge, why do you keep trying to scare us off?" Tiribomba cleverly inquired.

"He's not trying, he's _doing _it!" Aodhan whispered harshly. "And stop making him mad!"

"Run, Matoran! You will find no safety on Mata Nui!" Makuta shouted, the noise making the two villagers jump into a run. "This is my final warning before you push hand to cause your own destruction."

Tiribomba and Aodhan ran fast for what felt like a kio. Finally, they had to stop to catch their breath. "Well, now what?" the latter asked.

"We can't give up," his friend said, quiet and tired. "I think we missed something at Kini-Nui. I'm going back."

Aodhan leaned against a wall struggling with his decision. "After all that Makuta's said to us?"

"Now is when we need it more than ever," Tiribomba said, standing up straight and continuing. "C'mon. I'm following this to an exit and then going to Kini-Nui."

Aodhan sighed. "You'd better go with a buddy, then…"

X X X

Tahu roared, struggling to free himself from the vines that trapped him. He crashed from side to side, the large, flat stone beneath him glowing hot with the force of his fury.

"The poison is destroying him," Gali said quietly, watching from nearby. Lewa and Kopaka stood beside her near a tunnel entrance in the jungle. The poison from Lerahk had mixed inside Tahu with the power of Kurahk's anger, to the point where he was completely corrupted. The Toa had seen similar effects before, but not this severe. Infected Kanohi could control one's body, while the Bohrok Krana seemed to taint the wearer's mind; this dark mixture seemed to now possess both inside the Toa of Fire. "We must act," Gali continued. "Let us summon all the healing powers we possess."

The three of them gathered around Tahu. The Fire Toa hardly seemed aware of their presence as he growled and fought against his restraints.

"Lewa, ready his sword," Gali instructed.

Lewa raised Tahu's magma swords. They burned weakly, with nothing more than a sputtering flicker. "His flame is but an ember-glow!" Lewa noted in alarm.

"Kopaka," Gali said. Kopaka produced his own blade. He crossed it with the magma swords in front of Tahu's face. The energy of two Toa's blades exploded in a blinding flash of light, then flowed down into Tahu's body.

Tahu roared defiantly as the energy flooded him. He was soon enveloped in glowing white steam.

"That's enough!" Gali cried.

Kopaka and Lewa pulled back the swords. The steam dissipated, revealing Tahu—and the poison taint still covering his body. The Fire Toa lay still, his eyes dark.

"Brother!" Lewa cried, fearing the worst.

Gali brought her hands together. Water droplets rushed together at her call, forming a liquid sphere that spun in front of her. _Liquid of life, work your power, _she thought, focusing all of her energy on the water's cleansing power. Then she unleashed the water at Tahu in a gentle mist. A rainbow formed as the droplets danced over his still form. The water bathed him, washing away the poison along with the scratch on his mask. Within seconds, healthy red armor shone out.

Lewa gazed down at Tahu. The Fire Toa still lay motionless, but Lewa could see that Gali's efforts had worked. There was no sign of the poison taint. Lewa very gently clanked his fist against Tahu's hand, before clasping it. "I'm right here, Toa-brother," he murmured.

Gali slumped, exhausted. Kopaka caught her, carefully helping her move away to rest.

"You did all you could," he said, turning to look at Tahu's unconscious form.

"We are so evenly matched…overpowered even," she said. "How can we hope to win?"

"The same way we always have," Kopaka said, his eyes glued on Tahu's body. "We find a way."

X X X

Gali was kneeling beside a jungle pond. She held her hands beneath the water, taking energy from it to replenish her physical strength. Kopaka stood behind her, watching…thinking. "Kopaka," Gali said with a sigh as she felt herself recharged in the soothing, warm, water. "Do you think the Turaga were right about us? Have we lost our unity? Is that why we fail?" She paused, gazing down at the still water. When the Ice Toa didn't answer, she turned her head. "Kopaka?"

But he was gone. "Kopaka?" Gali asked a second time, looking for his white armor against the jungle brush. He was nowhere to be seen. Gali sighed.

X X X

As the sun rose above the horizon, Jaller tried to keep his gaze on his goal—the craggy top section of the Mangai volcano. He struggled up a rocky slope, clutching the Mask of Light. As he crested the slope, he groaned in dismay. Another steep cliff side still lay between him and the top of the volcano!

His legs ached, and his eyes strained in the bright morning sunlight. Would he be able to make it? And even if he reached the top of the volcano, what then? Would he find the Seventh Toa there—or would the mask lead him off in yet another direction?

"Mata Nui," he cried. "Show me where my destiny lies!"

Suddenly the ground quaked beneath him. Jaller was thrown off his feet—and off of the ledge. He barely managed to grab onto it and avoid falling, almost losing the mask in the fall as well.

He sighed and glanced upward, rolling his eyes. "Well," he said to the sky, "l guess I asked!"

The ground shook again. But this time, Jaller realized it was the rumble of galloping footsteps coming toward him.

"What now?" he wondered aloud. Jaller's eyes widened as Pewku galloped onto the ledge.

Takua was riding on her broad back, holding a Kolhii stick in one hand. He leaned over Pewku's side, stretching the Kolhii stick down toward Jaller. "Grab on!" he yelled. Jaller grabbed it, holding on tightly as his friend pulled him to safety.

Soon Jaller was seated behind Takua on Pewku's back. "Well, well, well…what ever happened to 'l quit?" he asked breathlessly.

Takua grinned. "I could have…but I didn't. Actually, I tried that," he said. "But no one will let me." His face grew serious. "Bad news. More Rahkshi. They've taken Onu-Koro."

"But the Mask of Light was never at Onu-Koro," Jaller said, confused.

Takua shook his head. "They don't want the mask," he said. "They're looking for the Herald."

Jaller still looked puzzled. "You're _sure _they were after the Herald?"

Takua glanced at him over his shoulder. "Oh, yeah," he said. "_Real _sure."

"Then we'd better find the Seventh Toa fast," Jaller replied, as Pewku moved faster.

X X X

"Why have you brought us here, Whenua?" Onua asked the earthen elder. He and his good friend, Pohatu Nuva had been led to a remote part of Po-Wahi. "We should be helping the others against the Rahkshi."

"Or aiding Takua and Jaller on their search for the Seventh Toa," Pohatu added.

"You are here because I need you here," Whenua answered.

The two Toa did indeed survive the battle in Onu-Koro, with help from Whenua. Having established the village, he knew the best ways to take shelter during a collapse, and the tunnels that exited Onu-Wahi. The Onu-Matoran had successfully been evacuated, thanks to the arrival of the other Toa, but Whenua, Onua, and Pohatu had not. Both Toa were seriously concerned with meeting up with the others as soon as possible, if nothing else to simply say that they were alive. But Whenua had insisted with the most forward and crucial tone that this must be done first. Now, he and the other two Toa had traveled to the border between Onu-Wahi and Po-Wahi.

The Turaga patiently showed the two to a pit covered with a large boulder. Onua and Pohatu recognized this particular setup as that of a Krana pit—one of the only ways the Matoran could seal up the Krana collected from the Bohrok Invasion. But on this particular stone seal, Whenua pointed to something unique. "Tell me…" he began, sliding his hand across a carving, "…do you know what this is, Onua?"

Onua stepped forward, examining the picture. It looked like some sort of slug, segmented into several sections with dark eyes and multiple legs. After a few moments of thought, he replied, "No, Turaga. It looks like nothing I have seen before."

"This isn't a Krana pit, is it?" Pohatu asked. "It was just disguised as one."

"That is right," Whenua nodded. "This is a Kraata…a part of the very substance of Makuta. You will find them inside the Rahkshi, but they have plagued Mata Nui since long before you arrived."

"What?" Pohatu asked.

"How so?" Onua said, at the same time.

Whenua turned back to the carving. "They slither in the shadows—as is fitting—spreading Makuta's darkness wherever they go." He turned back to the two Toa, looking up solemnly through the eyes of his Noble Kanohi Ruru. "It is the Kraata who infected the Kanohi masks Makuta used to control the Rahi. They do this simply by coming in contact with a pure Kanohi, spreading Makuta's darkness and infecting it. I and the other Turaga have hunted them in secret for years."

Pohatu opened his mouth to speak, but Onua held up a hand that silenced him—a rare action by the Toa of Earth. But Pohatu understood: Onua knew Whenua better than he did, and the time for questions would come.

"But we have begun to fear that the Rahkshi may find—and free—their brothers," Whenua finished. He turned around and turned on his Drill of Onua, the staff he carried as an elder. Drilling into the rock only a tenth of a bio, it reached a switch. The boulder then opened up some kind of automatic compartment—equipment the Toa had never seen before. Pohatu reasoned there must be some kind of standalone Vuata Maca Tree for this guise, alone.

The Turaga of Earth entered, beckoning for the two Toa to follow. When they arrived underground, they could hardly believe their eyes. They had gone deep enough that the ceiling now stretched at least forty to fifty bios high. And along both walls of a tunnel that stretched deep underground, were lines and lines and rows and rows and rows of Kraata, trapped in stasis tubes. "Behold," Whenua stated, lifting his arms in gesture, "the spoils of our hunt. Thousands of Kraata safely suspended in time and space, hidden here as they have been for years. We did not kill them, because we felt it was likely that the act would simply allow their energy to revert to Makuta, allowing him to create and use more."

Pohatu looked around in worried betrayal, scanning the walls of Kraata. Then his attention fell back onto Whenua. "You imprisoned these…things…in my realm, and never told me?" he asked, his voice rising in disbelief.

"They were no longer a threat," Whenua defended, holding his ground before the towering Toa. "We did not feel you needed to know."

Now, Pohatu was starting to lose his temper. "Didn't need—!? What else have you Turaga been keeping secret? Just whose side are you on, anyway?"

It was not Whenua that stopped him, but Onua, and even then not entirely for the Turaga's sake. "Pohatu, quiet! Something is coming…I feel it in the earth. Something very bad…" The Toa of Earth looked above, seeing tendrils of blue and brown energy snake through areas of the ceiling. "The Fragmenter- and Disintegrator-Rahkshi are outside!" he shouted to the other two. "Cave in!"

The three jumped out of the way of a massive boulder falling toward them, but had to continue dodging pieces of falling debris and minerals. The uses of their Kanohi Hau Nuva protected not only them, but the Turaga of Earth as well.

When the destruction had finally ceased, Pohatu spoke up again. "Is everyone alright?"

Whenua pushed himself up next to the Toa of Stone. "I believe we are all _unhurt_, Toa of Stone…but we are far from 'alright.' Look!" He pointed to one of the stasis tubes that had fallen and landed not far from Pohatu's Nuva feet additions. The Kraata's head was sticking out of it. "The shockwave has cracked the cylinders! The Kraata are free, and there is no place we can run!"

The three looked around the destroyed cavern, whose sleeping inhabitants were now awakening. Drowsily, those thousands of Kraata of which Whenua had spoken now eyed Pohatu, Onua, and Whenua. The Kraata fortunate to have larger stasis tube cracks easily crawled out. The others with smaller cracks either pushed on through hard enough (one even receiving a cut on the exterior container) or kept tackling until they could escape. Hungrily, covering the floor and crawling over one another, they began to slither toward the trio from every direction.

X X X

Gali was meditating by the waters of the stream not far from Tahu when Lewa called out to her. She opened her eyes and turned to look at him, seeing him approach. "Sister. He is open-eyed!" he informed.

Gali hurried back to the clearing. Tahu was sitting up, unwrapping the vines from his wrists, and panting heavily. "Brother," Gali greeted him. "Are you well?"

Tahu glared at her. "No. No, I am not well." Then his eyes softened. "But I am alive and in your debt…my sister."

He tentatively lifted his fist toward her. Gali smiled and gently clanked it with her own.

X X X

When Hahli exited the tunnels with the rest of the Onu-Matoran, the decision was made similar to the Ta-Matoran—the remaining four villages would harbor what they could of the population, with the stragglers forced to remain in Onu-Wahi and make an even more primitive dwelling in previously uninhabited caves. In a twist of serendipity, there were those who even preferred establishing a small outpost in the familiar subterranean region over living in a civilized village somewhere in the cold mountains of Ko-Koro or the intolerable sunlight of Le-Koro.

While the politics of the Matoran's new homes was settled by Turaga Onewa (who in the neighboring region had heard of Onu-Koro's fall), Hahli took it upon herself to continue around the island. Moving south from Onu-Wahi into Ko-Wahi, Hahli traversed the snowy mountain until she came again to Ko-Koro.

Once there, she saw immediately that it, too, had been under attack. She wasn't sure how complete the destruction was or how long ago, but it did look like the Ko-Matoran were able to still live there. _Somewhat, at least, _she thought grimly, as she stepped through the broken, shattered, and dehinged gates that used to be guarded by Talvi and Pakastaa. _Kopaka was the last Toa to arrive in Onu-Koro, _she thought. _He must have been overseeing repairs until he heard about the attack. _

Inside the ice village, ladders, homes, and bridges had been blown apart by Panrahk, poison had tainted the entire westernmost portion of the village from Lerahk, and only divets in the ground and microscopic dust gave tell that Guurahk had been here, too, searching for the Avohkii, the Seventh Toa, or its Herald.

Hahli came upon the Sanctum, which had holes blown in it and a wall that had been melted through, but was still identifiable. She entered the Chamber of Prophecy in the Sanctum, where Matoro spoke to her on the behalf of Turaga Nuju.

Matoro looked at her in fear and sorrow, waiting for Nuju to finish speaking. "Much of what has come to pass could not be foreseen," the Ko-Matoran said sadly, when his Turaga had finished. "The times of the Kolhii Championship were times of great cheer, but now we fear the dark. The wind blows cold on the empty mountain, and what has slept below has begun to stir. Now you see your trials, Hahli of Ga-Koro. May the spirit of your Toa Nuva protect you."

"I'm sorry about your village, Matoro," Hahli said, trying to sound comforting. "I'm on an important mission. I need Turaga Nuju to tell me if he created a place called the Temple of Peace, and if he did, where it is."

Matoro was confused, but didn't bother clarifying. If extra detail had been needed, Hahli would have provided it, he was sure. He looked over to Nuju, who examined Hahli for a few seconds before giving a short answer. Matoro looked back at Hahli and said, "The Drifts." As Matoro said that, Nuju handed her a small carving with a map on it.

Hahli took it and left for the Wastes of Ko-Wahi. Traveling through the snow and following Nuju's directions, Hahli could make out the silhouettes of four large statues in the distance, labeled carefully as the Temple of Peace. Part of her was surprised that this place was hidden out in the open, but her chattering teeth, frosted Kanohi visor, and other parts of her body could understand—the snow made it hard to see anything.

Moving closer, Hahli saw more inscribed riddles and keyholes once again, like the Temples of Purity and Prosperity. They were on three of the statues, while a sliding panel was on the fourth. The first riddle, 'The Third Virtue', was answered with the Charm of Destiny. The second riddle, 'Inner Strength', was answered with the Charm of Willpower. The final riddle, 'Fate's Child', required the Charm of Peace. As expected, once all the Charms had been used in the locks, the sliding panel opened and Hahli went inside, retrieving the Crystal of Peace from the hands of a smaller statue. With five in her possession, she made haste for Le-Koro to obtain the final one, hoping on the way that the Le-Matoran had been spared from the Rahkshi.


	9. Chapter 9

Kopaka skied down an ice ramp as fast as he created it, changing its direction at will. Under his armored boots, his double-sided ice blade had been split to resemble attachable snow skis, maximizing his travel speed. He did not want to be the one to hold up the Toa's scheduled meeting. When he left Tahu, it was under the assumption that Gali and Lewa would move him to keep on schedule. Right now, the most important thing was to stick to the last made plan. For that reason, he had left early.

_This was the place we were to meet. But I see no one, _he observed, jumping off the ice slide and retrieving his blade. _Perhaps Onua and Pohatu really did perish…perhaps Tahu is really gone as well… What, then, is the key to beating these foes? Wairuha Nuva? Some other Kanohi? _He looked at the situation from more than a few angles. Only one answer seemed promising: _The Seventh Toa? _Nokama did say it was to be a Toa of Light, and the Rahkshi were creatures of shadow…

_But where is he? _Kopaka wondered. _Surely wherever he is hiding, he has seen or heard the destruction caused by the sons of Makuta. If he has not already joined our cause, how pure can his heart be? _Kopaka paused, letting his thoughts roam. _Another mystery, on an island that seems filled with them. Perhaps this 'Toa of Light' will bring answers with him when he arrives… _

In an effort to help the Matoran celebrate the coming of the Seventh Toa, he had kept his views on the matter primarily to himself. His opinion might change once he had new information to logically do so, but right now, he just saw this newcomer as one more Toa on the team. That was something he felt like he could do without.

_If this Toa provides no more helpful information, _Kopaka thought, _I will find the answers to Mata Nui's questions myself—alone, if I must. I— _

_HISSSSS! _

"What—!?" he called in alarm, turning his head to see a very, very unwelcoming sight. He readied his ice blade and shield calmly, then raised them in front of him in battle stance. "Six of you, now?" he asked the six assembled Rahkshi in front of him, all pointing their staffs at him while their heads shifted back and forth eagerly. Kopaka's eyes narrowed and his telescope adjusted. "Very well. Then this shall be a tale the Matoran will tell for years to come!"

The six Rahkshi lined up, each pointing one end of its staff at the Toa Nuva of Ice. Lerahk was the first to make a move by jumping high in the air and preparing to bring its staff down on the Toa. Its staff of power was ready to poison whatever it touched, including Nuva armor and bio-tissue.

Kopaka said nothing as he channeled his awesome power through his ice blade, exploding the blast he had charged. The hearts of the Rahkshi would have been chilled by his silence…if they had hearts. Kopaka first created a spherical wave of cold, which slowed down and frosted even the Lerahk's armor. Once it was a sitting target, Kopaka condensed his energies into a single beam of ice. The beam washed over the green Rahkshi, freezing it solid in a pillar of ice several bios tall.

The other Rahkshi scattered, no longer sure who was hunter and who the hunted. Turahk landed high above the Toa of Ice, then used its staff of power to send waves of dark energy at Kopaka from behind.

Kopaka jumped and trembled to feel the cold touch of fear. _I…I can't beat them all…I'm going to fail! _he thought, helplessly. He could see it now, his ego, abilities, and intellect rose so far above the others, they wouldn't even mind if he was lost to the Rahkshi. They would think it was _amusing. _Kopaka shut his eyes tight, but then just saw the faces of his mockers. Turaga Nokama laughing at his hubris, Turaga Whenua laughing at him as a representative of the Ko-Matoran, Gali keeling over from enjoyment that he was getting what he deserved by not working with a team.

But last, last came _Tahu, _whose thunderous laughter came booming over and all around him. With each chortle and each 'ha', he could feel the temperature rise. As it did so, their Kanohi began to spin in circles around him, giving him flashes of a Ruru, Rau, Hau Nuva, and Kaukau Nuva. _Tahu will laugh at me… _Kopaka thought through the chaos. _And Gali…and the others…even the Matoran will laugh at one not fit to protect them. _

'Protect them.' That was Kopaka's job, his purpose—his duty. Never before had he swerved from that purpose…and he wouldn't start now. He began to push back against the mental onslaught. _NO! I will not be defeated! I will not give in to fear! I…will… _Kopaka spun and launched a projectile of ice at Turahk. "Not!" he finished. The projectile hit Turahk's staff, which cancelled the effect and also half-froze the rest of the Rahkshi.

A hissing sound interrupted what felt like a large victory. Kopaka turned to see the black-armored Rahkshi stalking closely behind him, following up the attack. With a high-pitched and long hiss, it swung its claw-ended staff at him.

Kopaka blocked the swing, catching his ice blade inside the grip of the staff. But he found himself quickly being pushed down under the towering and powerful figure, easily eight feet tall. "Unnnhh! This Rahkshi's strength is tremendous!" Kopaka grunted, feeling himself pushed onto one knee. He raised his shield's edge to brace the tip of his sword in an effort to push back. His arms simply weakened more before he collapsed into an awkward sitting position, propping himself up. "Or could it be…" _I am losing mine…and this creature is stealing it. _

The Toa of Ice looked back up to see the Rahkshi's glowing eyes standing out from its black armor, standing even stronger than before. With a shift in its frame that resembled amusement and even pleasure, the creature stood over his head and raised its staff high. _No… _Kopaka thought bleakly, feeling like he was going to pass out. He rolled onto his hands and knees, facing the ground. "It cannot end like this…"

"And it will _not_, brother!"

Kopaka looked up to see Tahu, Gali, and Lewa arriving on a ledge. At that sight, he could not help but breathe out a sigh of relief. Even Tahu, who had been visibly corrupt before, was now cleansed and standing tall. Lewa called upon a gust to move Kopaka out of the Rahkshi's reach. While it roared in frustration, Tahu pointed both his swords at it, sending swirling flame between it and the Toa of Ice. When the foe jumped back to dodge it only found itself caught in a water blast that swept it away.

"We owe these Rahkshi something from our last encounter," Gali said.

"Makuta should have taught his 'sons' better manners," Tahu stepped in.

Lewa ran his swords along each other. "I guess we'll have to quick-learn them, Tahu."

Tahu shouldered past Gali and Lewa, toward Panrahk and Guurahk. "I will show those Rahkshi real power—"

Gali caught his shoulder, using her axe, not her hand. "No, Tahu! You will just blunder in and make things worse!"

Tahu roughly shoved the Toa tool off his armor. "What? You would have been Tarakava bait long ago, Gali, without me!" He started back for the Toa of Water.

_Hmmm…not the time for anger-fighting with each other… _Lewa wondered to himself. Usually, Gali tried to make the lesson learned, but with more convenient timing. And Tahu, for all his temper, couldn't possibly miss who was friend and who was foe—especially with Gali and the Rahkshi right in front of him. _The Rahkshi… _he thought, remembering their new and fearsome powers. He looked around, spotting the white-armored Rahkshi pointing its staff at the two Toa. _That Rahkshi must be causing the shout-loud up here… _Lewa dramatically pointed his katana, unleashing a screaming tornado at the Rahkshi. "I will quick-fix that!"

The white Rahkshi spotted the elemental air racing for it. It moved fast enough that it wasn't swept away, but its staff was removed from its hands and thrown afar. The Rahkshi trembled with anger, the Kraata hissing and screeching from its armored head.

Up on the ridge, Tahu and Gali's attitudes changed. "Ohhh…what…what were we fighting about, Tahu?" Gali asked.

Tahu turned back to the Rahkshi. "I don't remember. Whatever it was, it can wait until later. Let's go!"

Gali once again readied her aqua axes, but this time was in full charge for the two remaining Rahkshi in brown and green. She dove off the ridge launching a constant stream of water at the two. "The first thing you Rahkshi need to learn is to bathe regularly…" She landed on her feet next to where Kopaka had recovered to full strength. The sons of Makuta were still being drenched from above even when she landed. "There! That's better!"

"Gali! Look out!" Tahu warned from above.

Still wet as they were from the weight and force of Gali's attack, the two Rahkshi had recovered quickly. The Guurahk and Panrahk worked together, shooting fragmentation and disintegration beams from their staffs at the midpoint of the cliff, sending tons of rock at Gali and Kopaka.

Tahu instinctively launched intense heat and flame at the projectiles, shouting to his brother, "Lewa! I can turn the rock to magma, but you must save the others!"

The Toa of Air replied, pointing his weapons and sending another lifting wind downward, "Don't worry, Tahu! I will send them quick-soaring!"

Tahu's blast slowed the descent of the Rahkshi's attack long enough for Lewa's maneuver to work. Gali and Kopaka landed safely away from the assault. Gali looked over her shoulder at where the destroyed rocks had landed. "Toa of Air, I promise never to call you a bag of wind again!" she smiled.

Tahu and Lewa were already floating down to the other two Toa, courtesy of the Nuva capabilities of Lewa's new Kanohi Miru. "You called me a wind-bag?" Lewa asked, smiling and continuing the joke.

Kopaka wasn't listening. "Where are the Rahkshi?" he asked, looking to where he had last seen the brown and blue creatures.

"The Rahkshi took advantage of our distraction to escape," Tahu explained. "Not just the two, either—all six are gone. Lewa says it looks like they were headed south, to Le-Wahi. We must find Takua and Jaller before they do!"

"Onua and Pohatu are gone-lost as well," Lewa reminded the team.

Just then, a nearby Po-Wahi stone rise exploded outward, raining down dried rock and earth. Gali quickly knelt to examine some of the debris that had flown outward, confirming it was elementally based (something that could only be done for a short time). She stood next to Kopaka once more. "I believe we have just found our two missing brothers, Lewa."

"It certainly sounds like them," Kopaka muttered.

X X X

Through the dust and smoke, Onua came barreling through. His quakebreakers and Kanohi Pakari Nuva made short work of anything left in his way. "Brothers! Seal that cave now!" he shouted. Behind him, Pohatu Nuva and Turaga Whenua were similarly running as fast as they could.

Tahu and Kopaka—two of the most powerful Toa—stood together. Though they had their differences, when there was danger, they could move and act as one. Both Toa spun into a back-to-back position, pointing a blade at the cave exit where their allies were escaping. Elemental fire and ice raced toward the cave entrance.

Pohatu, happy to finally have a straight shot at an exit, shouted to his brother, "Onua! Share your mask with me! I'll do the same." The combined powers of the Kanohi Pakari Nuva and Kakama Nuva gave both Toa immense strength and speed. Pohatu reached behind him to lift the Turaga with his new physical strength as he and Onua raced out of the cave. No sooner had they escaped than when Tahu's heat melted the rocks into a drift of slag. Nearly instantaneously, Kopaka's will refroze the new magma back into solid rock over the cave entrance, creating a seal.

Onua approached the two as Pohatu set the earth elder down. "Good work…the Kraata are sealed in for good now…I hope."

Pohatu approached, holding one of the squirming creatures in his climbing claw. "All except for this one…I caught him as he slipped out." He looked closely at the shape of its serpentine body, face, and color. "This one looks different, though."

Whenua approached the Toa of Stone. "Have a care, Pohatu—this Kraata has reached the ultimate stage of its evolution."

Lewa stepped forward, asking the question that Tahu, Kopaka, and Gali were similarly wondering. "What is go-happening here? What was that cave?"

"That was a Kraata pit, disguised as a Krana pit," Pohatu said, trying his best to convey information without revealing his feelings about it. "The Turaga have known about these creatures for some time, and hidden them away. During our little tour, an attack from the Rahkshi outside released the Kraata within, while trapping us at the same time. They are what power the Rahkshi suits of armor, similar to the way the Krana powered the Bohrok."

"So do we need to collect the Kraata similar to the Bohrok?" Gali asked.

"Or better yet, would removing these Kraata render the Rahkshi helpless?" Kopaka followed.

Tahu turned to Whenua. "Answer us, Turaga. Now is no time for secrets."

Whenua raised his hands to calm the warriors. "Of course, Toa of Fire. We have known about these dark creatures but did not consider them a threat. There were no Rahkshi for them to inhabit. There is no need to collect the Kraata other than to keep them from Rahkshi armor. They will not reveal any knowledge like the sets of Krana did. Makuta must create more, which we believe takes energy."

Whenua turned to the Toa of Ice and Toa of Stone. "Removing the Kraata would theoretically end the armor's autonomy, yes. But it would be much more difficult than a Bohrok and its Krana. They are more intelligent and grafted into the armor."

"And what of this Kraata?" Gali asked, pointing to Pohatu's writhing and screeching captive. "It is somehow special?"

"Kraata go through seven stages of growth before reaching their most potent behavior and potential," Whenua said, moving toward the find. "I explained to Pohatu and Onua that it is through the Kraata that Makuta was able to infect Kanohi masks which then controlled the Rahi from afar. Most Kraata must be in physical contact for a certain amount of time before a Kanohi becomes tainted with Makuta's darkness."

"_Most_ Kraata?" Kopaka inquired.

Whenua nodded. "It's darkened purple body shows that this Kraata is known as a shadow Kraata. Of all the Kraata, only such as these can successfully bind with any Rahkshi type. However, they have another use—they are also capable of infecting masks from a distance. This particular Kraata is a stage six shadow Kraata, meaning it could infect Kanohi at a large distance…and quickly. Only the grip of your Nuva Toa tool keeps it from using its power. But where there is one, there may be more…"

Tahu shook his head, interrupting, "We must leave you to deal with this, Turaga. The Rahkshi must be stopped, and stopped now!"

"Tahu!" Gali cried. "We can't leave him. What if there are others?"

"It was him, his brothers and his sister who decided to keep this information from us," Tahu said. "The way I see it, this is _their _problem. They chose to keep this from us."

"And it is our duty to protect them," Onua stepped in, taking a steady stance. "That is the elder of my people, Tahu. And we will respect him as is appropriate."

Tahu's face gave tell of his emotions, even behind a mask—frustration at Onua for giving his leader an order. But, he owed Onua a few favors from the past, and the Toa of Earth's wisdom rivaled Gali's. For once, he held his tongue.

Onua, waiting for Tahu's response, saw him back down. He minimally nodded, showing thanks, then continued, "Pohatu, help me seal the creature first. Then we can leave to challenge the Rahkshi."

Onua first encased the shadow Kraata in a form-fitting cocoon of earth. Pohatu followed up with a block of stone around it. Then an extra layer of ice enclosed the stone. Pohatu glanced over at Kopaka for an explanation, but simply got a neutral look, as if asking him why he was surprised.

Whenua took the imprisoned Kraata and set it down. "Thank you, Toa. Now, go and protect the Matoran's Chronicler and the Herald of the Seventh Toa!"

X X X

Hahli thanked Mata Nui that Le-Koro's village looked largely untouched since she had last been there. The high-altitude village certainly had its own troubles during the Bohrok Invasion, but since its razing by the Levahk and Tahnok swarms, it had been rebuilt remarkably well. It was that familiar design that greeted her at the village ladders and gates.

She immediately ran for Turaga Matau's home, finding that he wasn't there. Hahli was worried at first, then got her wits. She went back outside, finding Sanso, one of the musicians she had spoken with during the Kolhii season. "Sanso, do you know where Matau is? I have an urgent matter to bring to him," she asked.

"Why yes! Haven't you heard? The Rahkshi have attacked not only Ta-Koro, but Onu-Koro and Ko-Koro as well!" Sanso exclaimed. "He is a few trees down, fast-helping to build shelters for the fire- and earth-brothers."

Hahli frowned at the reminder, but nodded at the goodwill. "Thanks, Sanso. Be safe," she said, before taking a ladder down to a lower tree. That tree looked to primarily house Ta-Matoran staying with the Matoran of air. The Onu-Matoran, _far_ preferring a lower altitude, had been moved to the lowest tree still considered safe from Rahi and the Rahkshi. She didn't see Matau here, and with the Onu-Matoran coming here more recently, she assumed it was likely that he was still making room for them. Moving across the branches and open face of this plant, Hahli descended to the lower site.

There, Hahli saw Onu-Matoran and Le-Matoran coming together, building makeshift homes using vines, plants, synthetic foams, and soil for strength. Scanning the area, she saw the Turaga of Air using his Kau Kau Staff to help saw through certain materials for building. "Turaga!" she yelled across the area as she began to run over.

"Maiden Hahli!" Matau exclaimed, surprised. "Why are you see-visiting us? Have the Rahkshi now destroyed Ga-Koro?"

"No, no…at least, not yet," Hahli replied, with a stifled shudder. To quicken their talk, she pulled out one of the Crystals at random, showing the Crystal of Peace. "I know about these crystals. I have five of them. I only lack the Crystal of Faith. To obtain it, I need for you to tell me where the Temple of Faith is. I've already learned all this from the other Turaga."

Matau nodded. "True-sure," he answered. "The Temple of Faith is uptree of my home. Find a way to the top and you will find it, no doubt-fear."

"Thanks," Hahli said, turning away.

"Hahli," Matau said, temporarily stopping her. "Be smart-careful. And good luck fine-using the Crystals."

Hahli nodded and left, travelling back up to the Ta-Matoran camp, then back up into the main sector of the village. She went to Matau's home as he had said, finding a ladder that led to an upper chamber. From there, she was closer to the skylight. Fashioning a hook and rope into a grapple, she swung it, catching it on the rim of the opening. She swung over the interior of Matau's home, then pulled herself up and out on top.

On top of the domed hut there was another walkway, not visible from the village below. At the end of the path, three branches spread outward from a single point, forming the Temple of Faith. At the ends of the branches, locks had been grown or forced into the trunks of the trees. On those locks were more inscriptions. Hahli pulled out the Charms of Unity and Duty, the Charm of Accuracy, and the Charm of Faith. These answered the different statements that read 'Strength of Numbers', 'Word of Honor', 'Faith grants this', and 'In Darkness, Light.' Tree branches groaned as the plants moved, their mechanical components causing them to do so. A bundle of leaves was raised into the center of the area, carrying the green-glowing sphere, the Crystal of Faith, within.

Feelings of completion and satisfaction washed over Hahli as she stowed it with her others. _I've helped the island—I _have _made a difference,_ she thought. _Now I just need to finish it. _Climbing back into Matau's hut to exit through the village square, Hahli forced herself to keep moving fast, running to her next location. That location was the strange dome near the Eastern Ta-Wahi Telescope that seemed to accept the crystals, near the sunken ruins of Ta-Koro.


	10. Chapter 10

The team of Toa Nuva divided into three uneven groups. Lewa, Kopaka, and Tahu pursued the Rahkshi southward to the jungle, while Pohatu and Onua would search the northern half of the island in case some or all doubled back. At the same time, they were to keep eyes out for Jaller and Takua. Gali, meanwhile, was tasked with the lonesome job of checking the status of the other tribes of Matoran. If Makuta had something planned for them besides the Rahkshi, and the Toa were just being distracted, serious consequences could arise. Tahu wasn't going to take any chances in leaving the rest of the population unguarded.

And so, after much travel, the group of three Toa arrived at a suspicious sight. "Mata Nui!" Lewa exclaimed, overlooking a clearing in the jungle. "What happened here?" He, Tahu, and Kopaka did survey a clearing, but it obviously wasn't meant to be one. Tree trunks at least a hundred feet long lay uprooted and tossed aside, and many small Rahi could be seen either scurrying about or wounded from the wreckage.

The three Toa levitated to the ground to investigate when Tahu noticed two Matoran villagers nearby—a Po-Matoran and a Ga-Matoran. "Perhaps the Matoran here can tell us what happened."

The two Matoran were facing away from where the Toa had landed, swaying back and forth irregularly. Kopaka's eyes narrowed. "I would like to believe you, Tahu…"

The two Matoran suddenly spun and charged at the Toa. "But those don't look like friend-smiles on their masks!" Lewa exclaimed in shock.

"Perhaps they just need some time to cool off," Kopaka said, launching a blast of ice from his sword. The energy stopped just in front of the crazed Matoran and spread horizontally, cutting them off for several bios. "An ice wall should hold them for now."

"But their behavior…?" Tahu asked.

Kopaka's telescope zoomed in. A moment passed before he turned to Tahu. "Infected Kanohi, just like the Rahi used to wear."

Tahu turned at the sound of a high-pitched screech. On a nearby rock, he saw a purple serpent writhing in exercise. "And there is the creature responsible for this—shadow Kraata! Beware brothers, remember Whenua said these creatures can infect Kanohi at will!"

"A fear-dread thing indeed…but no match for an air-Toa!" Lewa said, sending his air power hurtling toward the creature. He bent the air in and over itself causing the Kraata to fly and spin randomly in its own little home vortex. "Let it use its power now, if it can!" Eventually the power was too fast and the creature lost consciousness.

Kopaka surveyed the clearing. He shook his head. "But the shadow Kraata could not have caused this damage to Le-Wahi. We must look elsewhere for our foe. As for the infected Matoran…" the Toa of Ice turned back to the ice wall, where the corrupt villagers lazily battered themselves against it. Kopaka swept his arm in the direction of the wall. Two tendrils of ice launched out from the wall, knocking the infected Kanohi from the faces of the Matoran. As they fell to the ground, weakened, Kopaka dispelled the ice wall.

Lewa helped the Matoran as Tahu collected the Kanohi. "Lewa, offer up two Kanohi Nuva for the villagers," Tahu ordered. "That will sustain them until they can purify or replace their own."

Lewa nodded, remembering the tender subject about Tahu's Kanohi Nuva. All of them had been lost in the Ta-Suva after the fire village had sunk into the Lake of Fire from defeat to the Rahkshi. Though the Matoran couldn't use the Nuva mask powers, their wellness would still be sustained by any Kanohi. Once both Matoran had been outfitted and instructed to return to their villages, the Toa continued their pursuit.

X X X

"Our foes are leaving a clear trail," Kopaka told the group. The trail to which he was referring was one of utter destruction which led the Toa from Le-Wahi to the border of Po- and Ko-Wahi. "It is as if they want to be followed…"

Tahu glanced over his shoulder at the head of the trio. "You worry too much, Toa of Frost."

"Or you too little, Toa of Ash," Kopaka shot back without wasting a second.

Lewa trodded along at the back of the group. It was bad enough he had to _walk _on the _ground_, but he had to do it with the two most argumentative Toa. "I really should go back to quick-soaring alone," he murmured, "it's quieter."

"Do any of you feel…as if you are having a hard time going on? Like something horrible is waiting up ahead?" Kopaka asked.

Lewa blinked, wondering if he had just heard a tremble in Kopaka's voice.

Before he could comment, Tahu was already on it. "I knew I should have done this myself! You simple, cautious, _slow _dump of energy! _Fire _works best _alone_!"

Lewa was about to jump back to Kopaka's defense, but then thought, _Tahu angry…Kopaka afraid…what could— _"Look out!" he cried, as the ground exploded in front of them, showing two monstrous giants emerging. The Toa of Air backflipped, using his swords as wings at the end of his flip to carry him to a safe distance.

The left foe was red, green, and white, had two large legs with multiple joints and mechanical supports, long arms with bludgeons and three Rahkshi heads located at its center. The right was just as shocking, in colors of blue, black, and brown, possessing four long but powerfully fast legs, a long spiked tail, and what appeared to be the top half of a Rahkshi grafted to the legs, wielding a staff.

Lewa had never seen these before, but knew what they were just as well: "Rahkshi Kaita!"

Tahu raised his swords overhead, making himself seem larger as well. "Nothing to fear! We have taken the measure of their power—we know what we face. They will not defeat us!"

The long-armed Kaita hissed a pattern something like laughter, then went from a standstill to a rapid spin in a second. Its spinning form then generated a large cyclone and flew to the three Toa.

"What?" Tahu said in disbelief. He lowered his swords and began to run away. "Where did it get such power?"

None of the Toa could run fast enough. The Kaita slammed into all three, throwing them far from each other. Tahu landed hard against a wall, even cracking the wall with his armor. Kopaka landed roughly on the ground.

Lewa tumbled through the air, but knew enough about his Miru and elemental powers to save himself. Using precise air currents and his Mask of Levitation, he was able to right himself before long. He used his katana as wings to fly back to the other Kaita. He soared overhead, landing a hit with each sword as he flipped over, landing on its back.

"It is…your dark-luck day…monster!" he said, feeling each word take more effort. "I…my energy…you're…" Lewa's legs gave out from under him. He landed on his side, but pushed himself to his hands and knees. Apparently, this Kaita could siphon strength with the hunger ability just by touch, not even needing its staff.

"Ohhh…" he moaned, as the Kaita turned to face him overhead. It caught Lewa's neck in the claw of the staff head, pinning him face-down into the ground. Dark energy began swirling at the tip, as the Rahkshi Kaita prepared a blast of shadow energy at zero distance.

Looking over at the scene, Kopaka glanced away, just to track where the other cyclone Kaita was and where it would be. His experience with the Bohrok-Kal Kaita as well as with his own meant it was a good guess that it combined some nature of fragmentation, disintegration, and the parasitic hunger power. He didn't want to see what that would do to a Toa Nuva of Air. _Only instants to save Lewa…! _he told himself, firing a precise bolt of ice, followed by pristine ice from the width of his entire ice blade. The first ice shot knocked the staff off of Lewa. The follow-up ice wave formed a mirror-like surface between him and the shadow blast.

Even as the first surface materialized, Kopaka quickly made two more, hoping to Mata Nui his idea would work. He saw that fortune favored him, as the bolt of combined energy reflected off of the first mirror and away from Lewa. Kopaka watched with anticipation, tracing the trajectory of the bolt as it reflected off of the following two ice sheets.

Kopaka's target—the other Rahkshi Kaita—was coming flying and barreling back at them in another cyclone. Even though it was fast, it was large, too. Kopaka felt a vengeful surge of satisfaction as the blast from the other Kaita hit it in a glancing blow, causing all three Rahkshi heads to screech with rage. The predicted powers of sapping strength, disintegration, and fragmentation caused a painful split of the Kaita form. Not only were they split, they were split violently; Turahk, Kurahk, and Lerahk were all thrown apart from each other into the surrounding environment.

As awesome as that was, Kopaka still wasn't going to spend time admiring his own handiwork. He moved over to where Tahu was still recovering from the Kaita's first strike. "Tahu, we must find the others while we can!" He offered the Toa of Fire a hand-up.

Tahu looked up at the Toa of Ice's offer before taking it and standing. "Yes…go! Find Pohatu and Onua. We will need their strength! I will see to Lewa. We must hope that Gali is still safe."

Kopaka nodded, then turned, jumped, and created an ice slide to carry him away from the scene of battle. Tahu turned back to the remaining Rahkshi Kaita, which had just battered through the ice shield. Luckily, it had bought enough time for Lewa to hobble back to Tahu.

"Lewa…?" Tahu asked at the sight.

"My legs…" Lewa said, through audible pain. "When I landed on the big-Kaita…it drained…my legs…"

The Toa of Fire took one of Lewa's arms and carried it across his shoulders, helping to support the wounded Toa of Air on his weak side. Lewa took out a single air katana in his free hand, but Tahu stopped him.

"Wait a moment, Lewa…" he said, also drawing one of his magma swords with his free hand. "Let _me_ give this creature…" Tahu fired a precise shot of intense heat and lava at an overhead snow peak on Ko-Wahi's border, causing a massive avalanche of snow and rock. "…something to remember us by!" he finished as the attack came down.

The black head of the bizarre Kaita turned to the oncoming rush of pummeling objects. It raised its staff to obliterate what it could, but the number was too great, and it was ultimately buried. Tahu wasn't sure if the physical blow had disunited the combination or not, but to his regret, that didn't matter—another sharp cry of pain had come from Lewa.

Tahu worded forcefully through gritted teeth, "If my brother were not injured, monster…" He sighed his resignation. "But there will be another day. I promise you: the Toa will be the end of you, whether those you struggle with now, or the one who is to come."

X X X

"Okay, if I'm right, the entrance to the Great Refuge must be here somewhere," Tiribomba said, looking around the large temple area. He turned to Aodhan, relishing the idea. "Just imagine, a place where all Matoran will be safe from Makuta, and Bohrok, forever!"

"Uh huh," his companion replied, unconvinced. "Last time we were here, a Rahkshi showed up. I'd really rather not run into any more."

Tiribomba smiled. "Don't worry. Soon, we won't have to worry about them!" His eyes spotted the Suva Kaita in the evening twilight. "Look! I think I see an entrance!"

"There could be more Rahkshi down there! I think we should explore more of Kini-Nui first before we go down any dark tunnels," Aodhan suggested.

"Alright, I guess that's a good point," Tiribomba agreed. "We may have missed something."

After searching for some time, though, Tiribomba's perspective was different. "I'm not seeing anything," he said from the top of a rock, disappointed. "I think we should go down the tunnel, now." When he didn't get an immediate reply he hopped down, finding his companion. Aodhan was strangely focused on the night sky, where the seven spirit stars burned brightly. "What's the matter?"

Aodhan took a deep breath, then turned to meet his friend. "Nothing…I was just thinking about what Toa Tahu said…about how Ta-Koro is gone. We should have been there to help. Instead…" He held his tongue. He wasn't sure how harshly to word his thoughts.

Tiribomba's mouth slanted to one side, considering the matter. Though he understood Aodhan's feelings, he still defended, "We _are _helping. We're trying to find a way to save everybody!"

Aodhan shook his head, mulling it over. "I know, but maybe we would do more good if we were with our friends."

Tiribomba was quiet for a moment. Then he brightened a little. "We've got to be close. Come on, you'll feel better when we find the Refuge."

Aodhan didn't say anything, but he nodded and followed Tiribomba underground.

X X X

Hahli set her bag of inventory down on the steps of the Eastern Telescope, while keeping the collection of all six Crystals in her arms. The mechanism was mounted on a spire of the rocky outcropping. On top of a dome was a ceremonial-looking tabletop, with carvings representing the Legend of Mata Nui.

Circling the Suva-like structure, Hahli put each corresponding Crystal in its appropriate niche according to the labeled symbol. When the right ones were put in the proper slots, they weren't forced back out like her original experience, but were sucked quickly in, only slightly protruding from the surrounding face when they came to rest. With the placement of each crystal, a light began to glow from the top of the stone.

Upon the placement of the final one, the damaged Crystal of Courage, it was pulled into its slot, but sparked a few times as its energies added to the group's. A glowing aura appeared in the middle of the ceremonial area over the picturesque Legend of Mata Nui.

As Hahli gazed into the blinding light, she was reminded of the stifling dream she had experienced a week ago, before she was chosen as Ga-Koro's Kolhii Champion. _Was that a vision? _she wondered. _Did I see the future? What's happening!? _The light grew and enveloped her until she could not see anything, but then it quickly abated.

Opening her eyes, Hahli saw that she had been transported somewhere entirely different. _Teleportation? _she realized with awe. The power was spoken of, but nobody knew how to replicate it. _But why, and where did it send me? _Looking around to get her bearings, she realized that she was near the Kini-Nui, in the center of the island.

At first, she was frustrated. She had been here for the proclamation of the Turaga at the Rebuilding. It might be difficult to reach Kini-Nui on foot, but far from impossible. _So why would they send me here? _she wondered. Remembering back to the damaged Crystal of Courage, Hahli recalled its suspicious performance right before the teleport. _With one of the Crystals damaged, it may have only put me close to where I was meant to go, _she reasoned.

She decided it would be best for her next course of action to at least find a landmark. With that in mind, she started heading for the general direction of the temple. She continued to puzzle together the strange turn of events. _These Crystals randomly showed up, all at once, and even the Turaga didn't seem to know what was up with them. They're sure in for a surprise… _Hahli kicked idly in mild frustration at a rock, sending it over a cliff as she went. She thought and thought about the Crystals—whether there was something in them, where they came from, why they showed up now, what they were for—but came up with no other answers than to activate the teleport.

Her thoughts continued as she walked toward the temple area. She remembered back, thinking from one thing to another. _Before the teleport, I gathered the Crystals, the one from Ta-Koro was damaged during the Rahkshi attack, I helped Nixie with her formula… _Hahli blinked, finding it surprisingly difficult to remember what exactly happened just a few days before, after the traumatic ones the Matoran had just experienced. After a while, she finished, _the preliminary rounds, the Kolhii Championship, and discovery of the Mask of Light. _

Hahli sighed as she walked purposefully up a steep slope, even using her hands to steady her in a crawl-like fashion on the steep incline. All those events seemed so long ago, so trivial now. The Matoran had bigger things to worry about, once again. Her Ga-Matoran sisters, her job, all of the mundane parts of her quiet life in Ga-Koro—it had all been put into perspective. _I want to be here for more than that, _she thought defiantly. _This can't have all been for nothing! _

Hahli dropped down to a lower surface and began sliding along a narrow ledge to continue. She paused in still remembrance. She had learned much from her travels. In Onu-Koro, she had met Nuparu. At least he was still a good friend, shown by when she retrieved the Crystal of Prosperity. It had been enjoyable for Macku to see Hewkii in Po-Koro. In Ko-Koro—

_Kylma, _she thought. _The scholar. _Suddenly, her peaceful reflection turned to one of anxiety. 'The one you care for shall be destroyed,' and 'You will unite Mata Nui in a time of darkness.' Those were what the adept had prophesied. Had they already come true? She didn't think so...

Just then Hahli heard a new but already terribly familiar and chilling sound. It was the _wizzing _sound of Rahkshi in flight. Looking overhead she witnessed three of the gruesome creatures fly in a straight path over the hills and valleys toward the temple. They were the red, black, and white attackers from Onu-Koro, instead of the blue, brown, and green ones from Ta-Koro.

_Rahkshi, _she thought, trembling with fear. Instinctively, she first ran for cover. Then she remembered that though they would harm her, she was not their goal. _Jaller is, _she thought.

Hahli's mouth dropped open in realization. "Kylma's prophecy—it must be about Jaller!"

It made sense, in a horrible way. In this time of danger, no one was more at risk or a bigger target than him, the Herald of the Seventh Toa, a being who would wield the power of light itself. And if the Rahkshi were here, now, then that meant…

The answer hit her hard. With new purpose Hahli resumed her journey to the temple with more energy than before, running as fast as she could after the Rahkshi's direction.

_Jaller is here, too. _


	11. Chapter 11

Jaller breathed out, awed by the sight that lay before his eyes. "Kini-Nui!" he whispered. "The Great Temple!"

The temple and the surrounding mountains were bathed in the colorful rays of the setting sun. The Mask of Light glowed as they crossed the Amaja Circle. As they approached a giant head carved into the stone at the edge of the plateau, the mask's light faded.

"No way," Takua said. "We've been all over the island…just to wind up _here_?"

"Why not? It's a sacred place," Jaller pointed out.

Takua thought the words 'I've already been here' would not only discredit Jaller's statement and the significance of the temple, but probably sound snobby…especially since, well, Jaller had too. Takua snatched the mask out of Jaller's hands, which immediately glowed brightly again. "Are you sure this thing is working right?" He shook it twice up and down, then shook it again harder. At that moment a beam of brilliant light shot out of the mask and raced toward the temple statue.

"Woah!" Jaller said.

"Oops…" Takua muttered. It landed on the giant stone head. The ground quaked, shaking loose countless years' worth of dirt and grime from the carving.

"What did you do!?" Jaller exclaimed. As the outlines of a mask began to be visible underneath, the sun dipped beneath the horizon, plunging the temple into dusky dimness.

"Wow, this is it," Jaller said. "The Seventh Toa must be here."

An ominous hiss rose nearby. Takua and Jaller turned toward the sound in fear. Three Rahkshi stepped out from behind a rock—Turahk, Kurahk, and Vorahk.

Jaller gasped. "Give me the mask, Takua," he said grimly, grabbing it from his friend's hands.

"Jaller, no!" Takua cried. "We both know the mask chose me. I am the true Herald."

"Are you sure, even now?" Jaller asked, confused by the sudden change of interest.

Takua held out his hand. "Yes!" he said firmly. "I am the Herald." Jaller hesitated briefly, then handed over the mask. Takua nodded. "And I say…_run_!" he cried.

Takua, Jaller, and Pewku raced down toward the lower plateau. The ground quaked again at the base of the steps. A fissure erupted in a shower of rocks and earth, and the three other Rahkshi burst out of the ground—Panrahk, Guurahk, and Lerahk.

Takua and Jaller turned to race back up the steps. But the first trio of Rahkshi were already descending from the top. "We're trapped!" Takua said.

"But not helpless," Jaller said defiantly, brandishing his guard sword and Kolhii shield.

Suddenly a flare of brilliant fire rocketed overhead, illuminating the entire temple. The Rahkshi shielded their faces against the glare. An urn atop the enormous stone head ignited, its light showing Lewa and Gali, who stood on either side. Tahu stepped in from the shadows, the fire reflecting off of his bright red armor.

Takua let out a breath of relief. "Toa? Great!" he called to the three Toa as they leaped into the air to surround the Matoran, cutting them off from the Rahkshi. "You can get us out of here!"

Tahu pulled out his swords as Gali and Lewa pulled out their axes and katana. "We are done running," he announced.

In the lower temple, the other three Rahkshi moved toward Gali, cutting off their escape. The ground between them suddenly rumbled and exploded. "Woah! What's that?" both Matoran asked at the same time. Three figures erupted out of the quake, landing beside Gali and the others, still protecting the two Matoran.

Gali cried out in amazement as she recognized the Ice, Earth, and Stone Toa. "Brothers!" she shouted to Pohatu and Onua. "It's been a while—we thought we lost you."

"Well thanks to our frosty friend, we're right on time," Onua replied, gesturing toward Kopaka.

Kopaka smiled and shrugged. "lt was…time. We can't spend all our hours playing in the sandbox, Onua."

The chief miner sheepishly answered, "It wouldn't hurt to get your hands dirty from time to time."

"Now, as one!" Tahu shouted. The ring of Toa extended their arms to their sides so that each one's Toa tool was touching the other. The Panrahk hissed, unleashing an arc of dark energy from its staff. Simultaneously, Guurahk and Lerahk let loose their disintegration and poison powers. Tahu used his Hau Nuva to generate a shield, as did each of the other Toa with their Hau Nuva, enveloping all of the Toa and Matoran in a protective force field. The combined efforts of all six Toa Nuva made the shield stand firm, without so much as moving any one of them. Their struggles with the Rahkshi had occurred all over Mata Nui, from the tunnels of Onu-Koro to the ice peaks of Mount Ihu. Here, in the shadow of Kini-Nui, things had to end.

"We will not be broken!" the Fire Toa announced. "The threat of the Rahkshi must end here!" He and Lewa stood side by side as the Panrahk, Lerahk, and Guurahk approached. Behind them, Gali led Takua and Jaller down the steps toward the lower temple.

"This way!" she cried.

Lewa summoned a whirlwind, sending it spinning down to grab the sand from the Amaja Circle. "Wind-fly! Sand-twister!" he cried. The sand cycloned feverishly, enveloping the advancing Rahkshi and lifting them uncontrollably off the ground. "Sand…"

Tahu crossed his swords, sending a blast of fire into the swirling sandstorm. "…and fire!" The sand particles glowed red, then white-hot. When Tahu and Lewa both lowered their arms, their creation remained—the Rahkshi were trapped, suspended in a prison of glass!

Lewa laughed. "Ha ha! Makes glass," he finished.

The Vorahk, Kurahk, and Turahk had recovered from the surprise of the Toa's arrival. They advanced again, hissing menacingly. The white Anger-Rahkshi banged its staff on the ground, sending a ring of dark anger energy toward the Toa. Gali soared through the air on a stream made of water, circling behind the Rahkshi. Lewa used his Kanohi Kakama Nuva to race out of the way, and Kopaka used his Pakari Nuva to tear a chunk of rock from the floor, blocking him from the Kurahk—it couldn't enrage what it couldn't find.

Lewa and Pohatu leaped into action, somersaulting around the three Rahkshi faster than the eye could follow. The creatures swung their staffs wildly at their tumbling foes—but wound up striking one another instead. The Turahk squealed in dismay as the black Hunger-Rahkshi's staff hit it. Its fear energy drained from its body, sending it tumbling helplessly to the ground.

The Vorahk hissed in fury. Turning away from the circling Toa, it leaped toward Takua and Jaller. In the blink of an eye, Tahu and Gali joined together and summoned their elemental powers. A blast of steam burst from their tools, catching the hunger-Rahkshi in its mighty stream and lifting it into the air, allowing it to crash-land next to the Kurahk once again.

The Toa moved in on the two once more. The creatures backed away, hissing in frustration. Behind the Toa, though, the Fear-Rahkshi stirred. Its eyes began to glow as energy flowed back into its body. The creature climbed to its feet and started up the steps toward Takua and Jaller. The Toa didn't notice; all of their attention was focused on the black and white foes in front of them.

Gali flipped directly in front of them. "Back off," she said.

The Rahkshi started toward her but stopped when Kopaka's voice came from behind them. "Surprise."

"Rahkshi." The white and black Rahkshi both turned to look now at Pohatu off to the side, just in time to see his climbing claws flying toward them. They hit their mark, the Rahkshi's wrists, binding them together.

Onua slammed the ground, sending a wave of earth into the air. He willed it to hover for just a moment over his enemies, giving the Rahkshi just an intimidating clue about what might come next. "Leave the heavy lifting to me!" he shouted, just before beginning its drop.

"Lava!" Tahu lept high and flipped near the assortment of earth, transforming the mass into a wave of magma, which broke over the Rahkshi, enveloping them.

"Water!" Gali sent a pulse of water toward the two, soaking them.

Then Kopaka jumped forward, striking the ground with his sword and instantly freezing it solid. "And ice," he completed. Both the Kurahk and Vorahk were frozen along with it, the extra moisture from Gali creating a thick coating.

Tahu stepped toward them, examining the handiwork. "They've been trapped before and were still able to escape," he reminded the others.

Kopaka leaned in, willing the ice to create an opening for him. He yanked the Kraata out of the Rahkshi's armored bodies. "Not this time," he said in a low tone, squeezing the creature and earning a screech.

A frightened squeal erupted from somewhere above. Glancing up, the Toa were just in time to see Pewku tumble down the steps, tossed aside by the Fear-Rahkshi. The creature turned with a hiss, backing Takua and Jaller up the steps.

"Hang on!" Gali shouted.

X X X

"I…I don't like this place," Aodhan said, looking around at the statues that had been much more welcoming from a distance away. "It's dark and cold. It doesn't look like a refuge to me!"

"Um, this is probably just the outside edge," Tiribomba reasoned. "I'm sure it gets lots nicer inside."

"Right," Aodhan drew out, "and Rahi just want a nice bowl of water and a pat on the head."

"So you have seen fit to ignore my warnings," the voice of Makuta rang out around them, for the two knew it well, now. "Then welcome, Matoran—welcome to the lair of Makuta!"

"Makuta's _lair_?" Tiribomba repeated. "Oh no! This isn't exactly what we were looking for."

"I think you mean exactly what we _weren't _looking for," Aodhan corrected.

"We have to get out of here!" Tiribomba exclaimed. "This way!"

Aodhan grabbed his counterpart's arm and stopped him. "No, the other way! To the right!"

The two ran away blindly, finding themselves in a separate room, where quiet dwelled. "This doesn't look like the right way," Tiribomba muttered.

The two were looking at a tall, translucent-green pillar, covered in supporting minerals and rocks. Aodhan was the first to comment. "I don't like the looks of these big tubes."

"Your every attempt at fleeing condemns you to me," Makuta's voice pursued them. "The shadows serve my will."

"You're just angry because we're going to find the Refuge and you won't be able to scare us anymore!" Tiribomba said confidently.

Makuta laughed a hollow echo. "You are in my 'refuge' now," he said. "Here you will stay, while my Rahkshi find the Mask of Light."

Aodhan turned to Tiribomba. "Did you hear that? We have to get home!"

"No, we need to find the Refuge!" Tiribomba was sure. "Come on!" He ran off, leading Aodhan. The journey was as unsuccessful as the last, however, confusing them even more as they found a new room with more crystalline pillars.

"Oh, this doesn't look right at all!" Aodhan said helplessly.

A chill of darkness ran through this section. "You can run, but there is nowhere you can hide from the power of Makuta. The island of Mata Nui only resembles what you feel here, in my domain."

"We're not trying to hide," Aodhan defended. "We're…we're…"

"Well, yes, we are…aren't we?" Tiribomba realized. "The Great Artakha Refuge is a place to hide from everything, instead of facing our problems."

"I…I don't know…" Aodhan conceded. He hadn't thought of it like that.

Tiribomba suddenly pointed to a glow from around one of the many tubes in Mangaia. "What's that?"

"It looks like liquid protodermis," Aodhan replied, as they approached the glow. It turned out to be a silvery substance near the center of the room. "That's the same stuff that turned the Toa into the Toa Nuva."

Tiribomba nodded, but wasn't paying much attention any more. "Listen," he began, "I've been thinking… Maybe there is a Great Refuge, and maybe there isn't."

"Finally come to terms, have you?" Aodhan asked slyly, despite their current habitat.

Tiribomba was in too serious of a mood to retort. Still staring into the pool, he continued, "But are the duty and destiny of the Matoran really to run away and hide?"

"But everyone would be safe, right?" Aodhan reminded him.

"Maybe we aren't supposed to be 'safe,'" Tiribomba suggested. "Maybe we're supposed to stand up for ourselves against creeps like Makuta." He let his words sink in. "I think it's time we returned to our friends."

"I guess you're right," Aodhan said. He looked around grimly, feeling Makuta's presence grow ever stronger, keeping them captive in his own dwelling. "That's where we belong…if we ever get out."

X X X

Hahli let out an exasperated sigh as she climbed over another rocky peak, rolling onto her back and taking deep breaths to rest. Climbing was for Po-Matoran, not a Ga-Matoran like herself. The Rahkshi had quickly outdistanced her with their power of flight since she had seen them fly above her, but she was determined to follow them, to whatever end…she just couldn't keep going on like this forever.

As she was laying there, she suddenly realized that there were even louder sounds than her panting, coming from nearby. She picked herself up and cupped both her hands over her ears, closed her eyes, and listened.

Metal clanking. The sounds of elemental bursts. The screeches of Kraata.

The sounds of battle, and it was close.

Hahli's eyes widened and she suddenly found the strength to keep moving. The skills of speed, stamina, and willpower were at work in her now, and she found that using everything she had learned in her travels across the island was making her duty clearer.

She only hoped she would make it there in time to help.

X X X

Takua looked down, trying to see the Toa. Instead, his gaze caught the beam of dark fear energy emanating from the Rahkshi's staff. As soon as it blasted him, he fell to his knees, instantly transfixed. Turahk rose up on its long legs, towering over Takua. It swung its staff toward the helpless Matoran.

But Jaller had seen what was happening. He leaped forward, swinging the Kolhii stick he was holding. Takua snapped out of his fear trance as Jaller intercepted the Rahkshi's blow. "Jaller!" He screamed as dark energy sizzled through his friend's body.

Just then, Hahli came running in on another temple path from a higher vantage point. Her hands covered her speechless mouth as she continued to watch the quick scene unfold.

Turahk turned toward Takua, its eyes glittering wickedly. But before it could strike again, Jaller had pushed himself back up off the ground and jumped onto the staff, taking the full force of its attack. The Turahk, annoyed at this obstruction, increased its output of fear power, overloading Jaller's capabilities to withstand it. He screamed in terror, but he clung tight to the weapon out of courage, strength, and protection of his friend. Turahk screeched again and jerked its hand, this time sending Jaller's feeble body falling next to Takua. Before it could pursue him again, Gali and Pohatu leaped in and grabbed it by the arms, restraining it. Meanwhile, Hahli found out how to make herself move again, and ran down the ledge into the temple.

Takua hardly noticed. He dropped the mask, raced over and cradled his fallen friend. "What have you done?" he cried as Jaller's eyes dimmed. "_I'm _supposed to make the sacrifice! I'm the Herald!"

"No," Jaller said weakly. "The duty was mine. You know…" He paused, gathering the last scraps of his fading strength. He took in a ragged breath. "…who you are," he whispered faintly. Stretching out his hand, he picked up the Mask of Light and put it back in Takua's. "You were always different."

Jaller's hand dropped limply onto the stone.

His life was gone.

Hahli, still several bios away, had to stop there. Once again, she couldn't bring herself any closer. "No…" she breathed. A part of herself was gone—a very special friend. She could do nothing but slump to the ground on her knees, her eyes downcast. "Jaller…"

Gently lowering his friend's head to the ground, Takua stood, lifting the mask. It glowed more brightly than ever. Takua stood still for a moment, his eyes distant. Nearby, the Turahk struggled free of Gali's and Pohatu's grip. The two Toa lost their footing and tumbled down the steps, crashing into the other Toa, who were on their way to help.

Takua turned the mask over in his hands again. His eyes narrowed purposefully. As he lifted it to his face, the mask's glow brightened again. As it made contact with his own mask, it burst forth with brilliant beams of white light.

_He _was the Seventh Toa!

He could feel his body transforming as the mask's power flooded through him. He became taller, stronger, brighter. Light emanated from him, freezing the Turahk in its tracks, bringing the armor uselessly to the ground.

Takua stared at his own hand, which glowed white-hot with light energy. He picked up Jaller's Kolhii stick, and a small spark jumped from his hand to the stick, transforming it into the longer and much more potent Staff of Light.

Down below, the Toa recovered, but didn't even need to raise a weapon. Suddenly a light shown, easily hundreds of times brighter than Tahu's. "What—?" he cried in surprise. Even the Toa of Fire had to shield his eyes from the sun that had decided to show up in the dead of night.

"That light…so bright I cannot see!" Onua cried, shutting his eyes tight and then covering the lids with his hands.

"It this some new Rahkshi trick?" Pohatu asked.

As the glare was starting to fade, Gali was the first to see. "No, brothers…no…it is what we have waited for, at last. Look!"

Turning to face the peak from where the brilliant light had come, the Toa Nuva saw one that looked like them in shape, but was new in color. His frame was white—a cleaner white than even Kopaka's. He held a staff overhead from which light emanated, reflecting off of his gold Nuva-shaped armor in all directions. On his face he wore—

"The Mask of Light!" Lewa cried.

The six Toa gazed up at him in awe. They fell to their knees. "Hail, brother Toa!" they said in one voice.

Takua glanced down to face the other Toa, his eyes filled with awe and power. _But I am no longer just Takua…I have found myself. And now… _"l am Takanuva," he declared. "Toa of Light!"

Pointing his weapon at the red Rahkshi, he fired a narrow beam of light at the creature. Hitting his target in the chest, a wave of light spread through it, gripping the being of shadow in golden-yellow hues. The armor then collapsed to the ground with the Kraata screeching and worming away from the suit of armor as quickly as possible.

As the white light bursting from the Seventh Toa illuminated the entire temple, it hit the stone face, carving the shape of Takua's Kanohi into the stone as a memorial of who he once was. Takanuva focused the beam through his Staff of Light, accurately depicting his former self to all who would come here. When he had finished carving age-old stone with the power of light, he powered down his elemental abilities. The cancelling of his aura allowed the other Toa to look at him without the need to shield their eyes.

Takanuva bent and solemnly picked up Jaller's body, carrying it down the steps past the other Toa. Each of them raised his or her weapon in salute, then followed the Toa of Light with their heads bowed in respect.

As Takanuva passed the place where Hahli kneeled, crumpled, he shifted Jaller's weight such that he had a free hand, just for a moment. He lowered his long, powerful arm to place a knowing and empathetic hand on her shoulder. She looked up into his eyes, trying to see the old Matoran she knew in the new orbs of this warrior.

She found him.

The two exchanged just those few silent seconds of mutual understanding—a best friend lost, and by his own accord at that. Then Hahli took the Seventh Toa's hand, helped herself to a standing position, and followed him down the temple path.


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning, Takanuva stood gazing down at the dome-shaped grave that had been raised in a quiet spot overlooking the Kini-Nui temple. A memorial pillar rose from the top of the dome, and Jaller's mask rested upon it.

Takanuva stared at Jaller's hollow mask, his iconic yellow-gold Kanohi Hau. "All this, just to discover who I am?"

Turaga Vakama stepped toward the Toa of Light. "You have finally found your own story," he said quietly, "and still you seek answers." He paused as Takanuva turned back to Jaller's Kanohi. "Mata Nui is wiser than all," Vakama continued. "The path you walked was not to be here…" He paused and gestured at the temple. "But _here_!" He tapped Takanuva on the heartlight of his chestplate. "You understand; you have but one destiny, and it is clear."

Takanuva thought for a moment, then agreed, "My destiny is clear. Jaller's sacrifice will not be in vain."

X X X

Lewa helped Tahu attach a pipe to the vehicle they were building. "I don't understand. How will this way-find the Makuta?" he asked.

Takanuva stepped forward, holding the six Kraata in his fist. "What is the Makuta's shall return to him." He inserted the Kraata into the slot they'd created for that purpose. They writhed angrily in their restraints.

Tahu examined the vehicle, which they were calling an Ussanui. It had been named after Pewku's species, the Ussal crabs, in honor of her duty to Takanuva as a Matoran. It consisted mainly of tubing and the Kraata housing toward the front, a place for a Toa to mount, facing down, and three blades which doubled as landing gear and flight fins. The Toa had created it out of advanced parts of the defeated Rahkshi. The Kraata compartment was even built out of the same housing components as on a Rahkshi. It was theorized that the compartment would allow the Kraata to pilot the vehicle similar to Rahkshi armor, without even knowing it. The idea and sentiment were well-placed, but Tahu couldn't help wondering if it would work.

Takanuva moved to face each of his fellow Toa warriors. "It should lead me right to the Master of Shadows," he elaborated. "Already, I know he waits…waits for the one who will finally defeat him and free Mata Nui from his shadow. But to end Makuta's reign, both of us must become more than what we are."

Before long, all seven Toa were gathered around the completed Ussanui vehicle. Hahli walked up to them, carefully carrying Jaller's Kanohi Hau. "Jaller was your Herald," she told Takanuva solemnly, after a long pause of looking over the mask. "Let him continue to lead you to victory." She stepped to the front of the vehicle, attaching the mask to it.

Takanuva nodded. "Well said, Hahli," he told her.

Pohatu cocked his head at the vehicle curiously. "Not much room in this transport," he said. "Where will we all sit, brother?"

Takanuva shook his head. "You won't," he replied, surprising the others. "You shall not join me."

"But united, our power defeated the Rahkshi!" Pohatu reminded him. "We will come with you, and add our power to yours!"

Tahu nodded. "Certainly it will take nothing less to defeat the Makuta."

Takanuva turned away from them, staring at the transport. "l have but one destiny," he said. "Yours is here, with the Matoran and the Turaga. Gather them here and wait for my return."

"But—" Tahu began.

Takanuva stepped forward, climbing into the Ussanui vehicle and starting it up. At last, he turned to look at the Toa gathered around. "Farewell, my brothers," he told them. With that, the Ussanui began to hover and move toward the entrance to Kini-Nui. Then it made a fast aerial sweep through the sky before plummeting downward through the Suva Kaita's entrance, making its way to Mangaia to confront the Dark One.

Pohatu watched him go before facing the Toa of Fire. "You seem troubled, Tahu. Is it because we have been left behind?"

"No, brother. It is Takanuva," Tahu replied. "I simply cannot help but wonder—what if he does not return?"

X X X

The Ussanui rocketed through the tunnels beneath the Kini-Nui. Takanuva held on grimly, not thinking or moving. Just waiting. It kept straight on course for the Kraata's home. He passed the chamber where the Toa Kaita fought the Manas, the Toa's fight with their Shadow Toa mirrors, and still he kept going.

Finally the Ussanui rounded another corner. An immense door blocked the tunnel, again something he recognized. _The gateway to Makuta's inner chamber_, he remembered. _The Toa have fought him before, defeating him with their combined elemental powers. _Takanuva knew that the power Makuta possessed meant that the chamber and Makuta himself could appear entirely different from his experiences before as Chronicler. _But now, I'm different, too_, he thought with determination. As the vehicle approached the massive entrance, it never slowed. A second before impact, Takanuva backflipped off the flying vehicle and sent it forward with a push. It crashed straight into the door, cracking it open before bouncing off, skidding to a halt at last.

X X X

_CRASH!_

The sounded reverberated all throughout Mangaia, startling Tiribomba and Aodhan. Before one could even ask the other, Makuta answered their shared question. "The Toa of Light has arrived!" the Master of Shadows said loudly, shaking the room they were in. "I have no more time for you two. Leave me!"

The world changed around them, and then… "Hey! We're back on the surface!" Tiribomba noticed. "We're alive—we got out safely!"

"But did you hear what Maktua said?" Aodhan pointed out. "He said that was a Toa of Light! That must mean the Seventh Toa has come! The prophesied light has returned to the island, just in time!"

"Yes, now I _know_ we aren't meant to hide, but to fight and be free," Tiribomba said confidently.

"Let's find the others! We belong with our people," Aodhan said.

"There!" pointed Tiribomba. He saw the Toa Nuva and the Turaga. He started leading his friend to join them. "Ta-Koro is gone…maybe all the villages are gone…but as long as the Matoran stand together, like seven Toa, Makuta will never win!"

Then the two friends chanted in one voice, "Unity! Duty! Destiny!"

X X X

Takanuva tried to see through the smoke at the door. There was a rattling sound that came from the direction of the Ussanui. He approached the vehicle to investigate, prepared for battle. His eyes widened in amazement as a piece of the damaged vehicle was tossed aside and a familiar figure climbed out from the wreckage.

"Hahli!" Takanuva cried. Hahli walked to the front of the vehicle and removed Jaller's mask, holding it up to the Toa of Light. "It's time someone was _your _Chronicler," she told Takanuva with determination in her voice.

Takanuva hesitated, then nodded. Reaching into the wreckage long enough to pull out the six Kraata, he turned and stepped through the cracked door into the dark chamber beyond. Takanuva held the Kraata tightly in his fist as he looked around the chamber. Behind him, Hahli started to step through the door, but he stopped her with a gesture. She backed off, watching through the crack.

By the light emanating from his own mask Takanuva could see several massive, caned stone columns holding up the stone ceiling.

Takanuva opened his hand. The Kraata slithered free, writhing their way across the floor and around the pools, heading toward a dark doorway on the opposite end of the chamber. Two large red eyes opened in the darkness, staring toward the Toa.

"You can no longer hide in shadow," Takanuva said, his eyes tightening in resolve.

"I _am _shadow," Makuta's sinister voice rang out from the darkness. "The shadow that guards the gate. Now run along, or accept your doom."

Takanuva stepped forward boldly. Suddenly he realized what he needed to do. "l am done running. Mata Nui will be awakened this day." He turned to Hahli, still peering through the doorway behind him. "Hahli, summon the Matoran!"

Hahli's face registered her shock at the request, but she nodded. "It's done!" she said, and hurried off.

Takanuva waited calmly as Makuta started to move out of the shadows. "Toa of Light," the dark one hissed. "Now so bold. But at heart, you are still just Takua." He stepped into the light. The Mask of Shadows on his face glared down at Takanuva. Makuta was nearly twice the Toa's height and breadth. "Are you truly prepared to face me?" the purple, red, and green giant asked.

Though he tried to hide it, Takanuva was shocked at Makuta's size. But he held his ground as Makuta approached him.

"You failed to save your friend," Makuta continued. "You didn't even warn him. Perhaps for your next great failure…" He paused, holding out his arm. A Kolhii Staff of Shadow grew out of it. Then he motioned toward the doorway behind him. "A simple game of Kolhii? Win, and you may _try _to open the gate. When you lose, I'll have that mask."

"I will not lose!" Takanuva retorted, clutching his own Staff of Light tightly.

Makuta nodded, accepting the challenge. The surface of the nearest mercury pool rippled. A silvery ball slowly rose out of it, hovering in midair between Makuta and Takanuva.

Both players leaped toward the ball. Takanuva was faster and reached it first, snatching it in the scoop on one end of his Kolhii staff. Dodging Makuta's swiping blow, he darted past him.

He landed on a perch along one of the pillars. Makuta followed, perching on another pillar. The ball of mercury in the Toa's scoop transformed suddenly into a glowing ball of light. Takanuva launched it toward Makuta.

Makuta dodged the ball of light, which exploded against the pillar behind him. Another ball of mercury rose out of the pool to replace it. This time Makuta was the faster one. He grabbed the ball with his Kolhii staff, and it immediately transformed into a ball of dark shadow energy. He flung it at Takanuva, but the Toa leaped to the side. The ball of shadow missed, crashing against and splintering another pillar.

The Kolhii match continued. Neither player spoke; neither hesitated. And neither managed to score a hit on the other. Every time a ball crashed out of the game, another rose from the mercury to take its place.

Finally Makuta launched a ball of darkness that flew toward Takanuva faster than ever. The Toa dodged it just in time, but the ball smashed into the pillar behind him with full force. The impact was too much for the structure—it splintered and came loose from the ceiling, plummeting into a hole that suddenly yawned open in the floor below it.

Takanuva managed to leap to safety, rolling to a stop inches from a pool of mercury. Makuta jumped down and swooped on the next ball of mercury before the Toa could react. Then he stalked toward Takanuva, laughing with dark triumph. "You know I cannot be beaten!" With that, he launched the ball of shadow straight at Takanuva.

X X X

Hahli ran through the tunnels as fast as she could, still tightly clutching Jaller's mask. The thought of her fallen friend gave strength to her legs and courage to her heart. Ahead of her, finally she saw a pinprick of daylight.

A moment later she burst out of the crater of the ruined Suva dome into the main temple area at Kini-Nui. The six Turaga and the six Toa stood around the dome crater, waiting. The entire population of the island was gathered behind them on the hillsides surrounding the temple, waiting to hear the fate of the Toa of Light. The Turaga, as well as the Matoran population had been gathered by Tiribomba and Aodhan once the Toa informed them of Kini Nui's events. Lewa first took them to Le-Koro, where they both rode as co-pilots in Kongu's force to quickly spread the word to the other two remaining villages of Po-Koro and Ga-Koro.

"l bring word from Takanuva!" Hahli blurted. She climbed out of the hole, breathing hard. "He wants us to follow. We are to awaken Mata Nui today!"

The crowd, hearing the news, murmured uncertainly. All considered Hahli's words.

"A light among the shadows," Turaga Vakama said in a faraway voice. "Brighter lights; darker shadows…the prophecy is being fulfilled! We must go!"

Onewa's face was grim. "If we descend into those tunnels, we will never again return!"

The crowd's murmurs grew louder. The villagers looked by turns nervous, excited, and uncertain.

Hahli climbed up onto a chunk of stone and held up Jaller's mask. "Friends!" She tried to say over the crowd.

Vakama yelled, "Silence!"

Hahli spoke again when everyone was quiet. "This island is a great and wondrous place," she declared. "Never has any people been as blessed as we are to live in such a paradise."

All around her, Turaga and Matoran nodded in agreement. "Mmmm…true," said Onewa.

Taking strength from her own convictions—and her memories of Jaller—Hahli continued. "I love my home," she said. "And Jaller loved it, too. But above all Jaller respected his duty. Let us repay him by doing _our _duty. Let us remember him by fulfilling our destiny! Let us go forward together." She glanced around at the crowd, which was hanging on her every word. Thrusting Jaller's gleaming yellow Hau high into the sunlight, she finished, "Let us awaken the Great Spirit!"

The crowd burst into loud, unanimous cheers. Hahli sighed with relief. She had done her duty.

Now it was time for the island's people to do theirs.

* * *

**Editor's Note: I hope all who have read this have enjoyed it. It has a statistically higher view count than my other parts of the Bionicle story, likely because people are more familiar with its name due to the movie. Even so, I hope that you all have benefited from seeing the other side stories that coexist alongside the movie/book storyline. I remember that putting this part together chronologically was particularly difficult, just because there are so many other overlaps and the story is more complicated than the movie/book shows. Hahli's story, the two Ta-Matoran searching for the Great Artakha Refuge, and other scenes involving the Toa Nuva and Rahkshi that do not appear in the movie/book but in comics all came together to make the longest part yet. **

**I just wanted to say a quick 'thank you'. There have been a lot of views on all the parts and I feel I have 'done my duty' by sharing this all with the Bionicle community of fans, new and old. The project seems to have been received positively. Thank you to those who have followed/favorited as well, that tells me about the reception of this project as well. I also wanted to give a quick reminder that this compilation is meant as a service: if you have any concerns about material, questions about where a scene came from, or even suggestions on how I could make it better, please feel free to pose those. **

**If you're enjoying re-reading Bionicle or if you're learning things about Bionicle that you didn't know before, then the project is doing what it was meant to do and I'm satisfied! **


	13. Chapter 13

Takanuva barely managed to escape the ball of shadow. The effort of dodging it sent him flying off a pillar into space. He adjusted in midair, swinging his feet around until he was running straight down the pillar. The momentum carried him over to the mercury pool just as another ball rose from it.

He grabbed it in his Kolhii net. As soon as it transformed into a ball of light, he turned and hurled it toward Makuta.

But the dark one was ready. He swung his own Kolhii stick, catching the ball of light in his net and transforming it into darkness.

Takanuva gasped in shock. Then he leaped to the side as the ball came hurtling back toward him, shattering another pillar and sending it collapsing into the floor. Once again, the Toa of Light barely dodged in time, jumping over to another pillar—one of only two left standing in the cavern. He was growing tired. How much longer could he continue this game?

Makuta grabbed the next mercury ball and transformed it. Then he walked toward the two pillars, searching for his quarry. Then he heard the faraway sounds of Matoran and Turaga. "An audience gathers for your final failure, Toa of Light," Makuta said.

Takanuva leaped high up the pillar, staying just out of his opponent's sight. "Maybe they will not see me win today," he said. "But the Matoran will go on, and someday they will triumph."

"You actually believe I would let them return?" Makuta said. "After all the trouble they have been?"

Just outside the cavern, Hahli rode Pewku toward the door, leading the six Toa, the six Turaga, and the Matoran crowd behind her. The Toa gathered around the crack in the doorway, looking through into Makuta's cavern.

There was only one pillar left standing now. Takanuva clung to it, while Makuta stood at the base, a ball of darkness quivering in his net. The dark one turned, glancing toward the doorway. "Now that I have them," he said with malicious satisfaction, "they will not leave."

With a sudden horror, Takanuva realized the truth—he had led his people into a trap! "NO!" he cried.

Makuta launched the ball of darkness toward the voice overhead. Takanuva ducked it. The ball struck the pillar, which started to collapse. Takanuva landed on the ground on one side of the mercury pool. Makuta stood on the other. Without hesitating, the Toa of Light flipped himself over the mercury toward his enemy.

A ball of mercury rose out of the pool, and Takanuva grabbed it in mid-flip, transforming it into a ball of light. He immediately rolled into his special Kolhii move, somersaulting and throwing the ball at the same time. This time it worked—the ball of light flew right into Makuta's chest!

The force of the impact knocked Makuta backward across the chamber. He staggered, then dropped to his knees with a mighty crash. Light energy flashed through his body. Makuta roared in pain as the light energy weakened him. "Well played, Toa," he croaked.

Takanuva stepped forward. He had done it! He had finally defeated his enemy!

But Makuta wasn't quite finished yet. As the Toa approached, the dark one suddenly flung out his hand, shoving Takanuva backward with surprising force. Takanuva grunted, startled. He fell back hard, landing near the pool of mercury.

Makuta climbed to his feet. "Now I will protect Mata Nui from you," he snarled, marching toward the Toa of Light.

"Protect him?" Confused, Takanuva lowered his staff.

"Sleep spares him pain!" Makuta said. "Awake, he suffers."

He continued stalking toward Takanuva, who found himself backing closer and closer to the pool of silvery substance. The Toa of Light wasn't sure what to think of the dark one's words. How could he think that Mata Nui was better off remaining asleep? How could he think that was best for the island?

"But he does not live," Takanuva protested, still perplexed.

Makuta raised his Kolhii staff. Utter determination danced in his red eyes. "My duty remains to the Kanohi Kraahkan, the Mask of Shadows."

Suddenly Takanuva smiled. The light had dawned in his mind—he knew what he had to do. "Then let's take a closer look behind that mask, and expose those shadows," he said.

He dropped his Kolhii staff and leaped toward Makuta, landing on his chest so that the two of them were face-to-face. With one hand Takanuva grabbed the Mask of Shadows, yanking it off of Makuta's head. His other hand pulled his own mask free. Before Makuta could react, the Toa had switched the masks, shoving the Mask of Light onto the dark one's face and placing the Mask of Shadows over his own face.

"NO!" Makuta howled. He staggered in a circle, the mask pulsing on his face. Then he toppled backward into the mercury pool, pulling Takanuva along with him.

The other six Toa rushed into the room, followed by the Turaga and the others. They all gathered around the pool. The still, silvery surface remained unbroken for a long, long moment. The Toa exchanged glances, not sure what to think.

Suddenly arcs of dark and light energy shot out of the mercury and danced across the surface. The Matoran took a wary step back.

Then a huge head rose from the steaming mercury. Makuta? No, it wasn't the dark one—at least not completely. It was the merged face of Takanuva and Makuta—half Mask of Light, half Mask of Shadow. An enormous merged figure continued to rise slowly out of the pool, half light and half shadow.

Takutanuva.

The light side of the mask spoke. "Light has revealed the will of Mata Nui," Takanuva's voice said.

"Our brother must be awakened," the Makuta side added.

The Toa, Turaga, and Matoran glanced at one another. None of them knew what to do or think now.

Takutanuva stepped out of the pool and walked toward the huge door set into the wall on the far side of the cavern. He crouched down, his fingers gouging the metal of the door as he tried to lift it. The door creaked and groaned, then slowly began to rise.

As Takutanuva struggled under the weight of the giant door, the Toa and the others stepped forward uncertainly and walked through into the chamber beyond. Hahli was still carrying Jaller's mask as she stepped past the giant two-sided figure.

"Hold, little one," Takutanuva's voice stopped her. "That mask needs life."

The shadowy side of Takutanuva reached out a hand. A powerful pulse of dark and light energy shot out from his fingertip, blasting into Jaller's mask.

Hahli stepped back as the mask took on a life of its own. As she watched in amazement, Jaller's body quickly regenerated from the mask—his head, his body, his legs bursting into existence out of nothing. A dim glow lit up the eyes behind the mask, and a moment later Jaller fell backward.

Hahli caught him, stunned by what she had just seen. Could it really be? Could her friend have been brought back? "Jaller!" she cried.

Jaller merely groaned in response, trying to take in what was happening.

But the energy of re-creating the brave Matoran had taken too much out of Takutanuva. He strained against the weight of the door, but it was no use. The metal door smashed down on him, sending up a thick cloud of dust that obscured the onlookers' view.

Too late, Jaller shouted, "Get out of there!"

The Toa and Matoran bowed their heads sadly. Jaller stepped forward, heartbroken. "Takua!" he cried as Pewku whined sorrowfully nearby.

The cloud of dust swirled vigorously. Suddenly, a figure stepped out of it—Takanuva! Behind him, the broken, utterly destroyed remains of Makuta's armor could be seen underneath the large gate. As Hahli gasped in surprise, Jaller raced toward his friend. Pewku ran even faster, leaping onto Takanuva with joyful cries.

"You're alive!" Jaller exclaimed gleefully, hardly seeming to notice his friend's new form. Then he frowned. "Kolhii-head! You could've been Makuta bones!"

Takanuva grinned. "Could've been, but I'm not."

Turaga Vakama raised his staff, interrupting the friends' moment. "Let us awaken the Great Spirit."

Hahli, Jaller, and Takanuva followed the Turaga to the far end of the new chamber. There, a ledge plunged away into dark nothingness.

"Unity!" Turaga Vakama said solemnly. "Duty! Destiny!"

As he spoke, Takanuva's power illuminated his companions and himself. Their light shone down into the abyss, revealing what lay below. The Matoran gasped in amazement as they saw a strange new world stretching out below them. The world at the bottom of the cliff was indescribably huge—it stretched farther than the eye could see. At the center of a vast sea, the skyline of what appeared to be an abandoned city laid. Strange structures dotted the landscape, and flashes of energy danced here and there.

Takanuva nodded as he surveyed. _This is it, _he thought as a feeling of certainty settled through him. _Soon we will understand everything. Who we are. Where we come from. Who sent us. _

_Our destiny._

X X X

**One week later… **

Turaga Nokama approached Hahli on the Ga-Wahi beachfront. The last days had been filled with more manual labor than the island of Mata Nui had ever seen before. Matoran were either constructing boats for the journey to the city they had seen or carving the tunnels wider for travel. Though Makuta no longer stood personal guard to the gate, it still had produced a few problems of its own. With Takutanuva no longer able to raise the immense door, the Toa Nuva had to use the combined powers of their Kanohi Pakari Nuva in unison to raise it, just to build equipment that would hold it open. By and by, the population had made it back to Mata Nui's surface, only to never return.

Now, Nokama and Hahli sat for the last time on Ga-Koro's shores. "Yours has been a hard road Hahli, but you have persevered," Nokama told the Ga-Matoran. "Not all Matoran thought you were worthy of the challenges set before you. But I saw what is in your heart and believed in you. Your virtue unlocked the mystery of the crystals—they were meant for you. Takua now walks among the great Toa. His role as Chronicler is forfeit. It is time for that honor to pass on to another special Matoran. It is _your _honor, Hahli, from this day forth. You did well to assume that role for Takanuva on your own. Now, continue that role."

Hahli bowed in manner of both acceptance and gratitude. "Thank you, Turaga Nokama. I will record the legends of the Matoran dutifully."

Nokama turned back out to the beach's shipyard, where construction was occurring in many different steps. "Look now! The boats are being crafted, Chronicler. Soon we will depart for the forgotten city of Metru Nui. Ready yourself, for there many adventures to come! Your first task as Chronicler will be to record what has gone before as we prepare for our journey."

Hahli nodded solemnly and then turned to stare out across the ocean, reflecting on all that had happened and all that was happening. One last glance at the Red Star concluded her thoughts; she got up and joined the Turaga of Water to meet with the council of Toa and elders, to uncover the mysteries about just what was to come next. It was a time for remembering…and a time for goodbyes.

X X X

Kopaka was thinking much the same later that evening as he surveyed the Ko-Wahi beach just before twilight. The large sun set over the waters, which themselves created a horizon embraced by two cliff-like peninsulas stretching out into the waters. He looked into the sight, reflecting. Not far away, Tahu calmly walked the beach alone. Toa Gali and Turaga Nokama came next to Kopaka, enjoying the view. Being from Ga-Wahi, Gali was much more familiar with seeing the sun rise in the early morning over Ga-Koro. This reversed sight brought her a peaceful sense that was both familiar and backward at the same time. She waited for Kopaka to speak—she had grown to know when he would.

Kopaka glanced over slightly, sensing that she knew some comment was on his mind, waiting to be spoken out loud. He looked out to the sunset once more. "This is where I first walked the sands of Mata Nui," he told her.

"And now a new adventure is about to begin," Nokama stated.

Tahu approached now, too, at the back of the group. "Yes, a return to the city you call Metru Nui, Turaga. Are the Matoran prepared to leave this island and make the journey?"

Gali looked over. "They are building boats even now to carry us all across the Silver Sea, Tahu." She turned to the water elder. "I could not see very much of the city from the shore of the tunnel. Is it very beautiful, Turaga?"

Now Nokama closed her eyes peacefully, letting memories and experiences of the past rush forward, unblocked. "Once, long ago, it was the most beautiful place in all of Mata Nui's creation. But before we travel there, you must remember—appearances can be deceiving."

X X X

Back in the underground tunnels of Mangaia leading to Metru Nui, Turaga Vakama was recounting a similar lesson with Jaller and Takanuva.

"I still can't believe that Ta-Koro is…gone," Jaller said sadly, thinking about the village which he had called home for hundreds of years.

Next to him, the Toa of Light stood tall, planting his staff and clenching a fist. "But our friends are safe, Jaller…_you're _safe. That is what matters, friend. Now our destiny leads us to a new island, a new city."

Vakama put his staff against Takanuva's chest as a caution. "New, and yet very old, Toa of Light. We return to Metru Nui, our home, but be warned…there are many dangers there, some familiar, some you have never seen before."

Takanuva looked down at the fire elder, knowing a short anecdote was coming. Vakama continued, "Do not assume you can take the measure of an enemy based on its appearance. Remember the tale of the Toa Nuva and the Rahkshi Kaita…"

"I heard the battle, Turaga, but to what lesson are you referring?" the new Toa asked.

Vakama looked up to meet eyes with the legendary Toa of Light. "In that battle, Tahu made a promise: the end of the Rahkshi. And his promise was met—the Rahkshi were defeated. But the Toa Nuva's ignorance of their foes almost cost them dearly."

"And that is why these secrets are being revealed now?" Jaller asked.

Vakama nodded. "Yes. With the discovery of the island, we can no longer leave it secret even if we desired. But, before the Kolhii Tournament, the Turaga had decided to spread knowledge of Metru Nui. We could never know it would be so perfectly timed with your rediscovery of the land, Toa of Light. The Toa need to know the truth…about everything. Just as your abilities spread wide and revealed Metru Nui, so must identical illumination flood the minds of the Toa with knowledge."

The Turaga of Fire beckoned for the two close friends to follow him as he exited the chamber overlooking the sea, going back to Mata Nui's surface. "Come. We must gather the Toa. There are more tales yet to be told."

X X X

An hour later, when twilight had given way to night, the six Turaga elders, Matoro, Hahli, and the seven Toa stood assembled on the beach. The six elders stood on an elevated precipice, raising them to the Toa's height. Both sides had looked forward to this meeting, though for different amounts of time and for different reasons. The Toa knew the Turaga still had much to reveal and were anxious to learn all, especially the details and history of this city, Metru Nui. And the Turaga had been waiting to share what only they knew with other beings for hundreds of years.

Vakama spoke first of the assembled attendees. "Soon, we begin the long journey to Metru Nui—the land from which the Matoran came, the home we left to come to these shores," he began. "You will unlock many secrets there, Toa. You will learn about the past, for only that can prepare you for the future."

Onewa spoke next, his tone one of regret. "There are many things you should have been told before now. We had resolved to tell you after the Kolhii Tournament, but…"

"The appearance of the Mask of Light banished all other plans from our minds," the Turaga of Water finished for him. "The mask forced Makuta's hand against us, which wrought the Rahkshi and their danger."

"You will discover Metru Nui is filled with mystery…dark secrets that have been buried there since the Time Before Time," Whenua continued.

Tahu stepped forward out of the group of Toa. "Surely there could not have been anything so terrible there," he said. He received a questioning look from Turaga Nuju, causing him to carefully word his point again. "Not if you Turaga and the Matoran were able to travel safely from there to here."

Matau chuckled, laughing enough that he looked down and shook his head. Looking back at the Toa, he smiled a smile that conveyed a hint—Tahu didn't know what he was talking about. It wasn't an arrogant gesture, just one of honest understanding and even sorrow.

Vakama looked back at the assembled heroes as well. He went on, "You have all faced many great dangers—Rahi, Rahkshi, Bohrok, and more. But others walked the path before you…_others_ witnessed the birth of true darkness." The Turaga of Fire leaned on his firestaff with both hands as the other Turaga drew in closer, as if bracing for the truth. "Heroes of Mata Nui…brothers and sisters…it is time you knew the truth—you are _not _the first Toa…"

_To be continued in "Bionicle - Phase 03: Provenance - Part I: Utopian Mystery"..._

_(Mask of Light was compiled from the move Bionicle: Mask of Light; the book Chronicles 5: Mask of Light; the video games The Legend Continues, and Mata Nui Online Game II: The Final Chronicle; and Graphic Novel 2: Challenge of the Rahkshi, containing Comics 13-15: Rise of the Rahkshi, At Last - Takanuva!, and Secrets and Shadows)_

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**Editor's Note: ****Congratulations on making it this far! You're about a quarter through the canonical story! **


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